Postal voting has closed, but collection points remain open until midday Saturday. Photo: Supplied / Auckland Council
Only one in five Aucklanders have voted in the city's local elections so far, with less than two days to go.
According to Auckland Council, 261,500 votes had been returned as of Thursday, 9 October - just 21.9 percent of eligible voters.
Postal voting had closed, but voting papers could be dropped off at collection points, including some supermarkets and libraries, until midday Saturday, 11 October.
In the 2022 elections, 405,149 people - just 35.5 percent of those enrolled - voted.
A spokesperson for incumbent mayor Wayne Brown's Fix Auckland campaign, which also backed council candidates, said their internal modelling projected voter turnout to be about 33 percent this year.
"[The mayor] is working hard for Aucklanders for every last minute of this term," they said. "He is also urging Aucklanders to have their say and get their paper in.
"Fix Auckland candidates standing across the city are working hard in their ward to turn out the vote in target areas."
Many of the city's local body groups were also making last-ditch campaign efforts.
The campaign director for right-leaning party Communities and Residents said its candidates were going door to door and campaigning on street corners to reach undecided voters.
"The reality is the hard work's done, everyone's running on empty, emotions are high, and we're all sick of saying 'rates, roads and rubbish'. People don't realise how much work goes into campaigning - the long hours, meeting people and going to every event known to man, rain, hail, or shine, and there has been a lot of rain!
"We have left everything on the field this election and we are maintaining the momentum right up until midnight Friday."
They said the way votes were collected must change to increase participation.
"The turnout is shaping up to be the lowest ever, which is quite shocking. Postal voting is archaic and clearly not working for the voter.
"Nevertheless, we're all looking forward to Saturday's results."
They said it would be a big job pulling down hundreds of hoardings.
Candidates were required to remove their hoardings before midnight the day before election day.
The ACT Party's local government spokesperson, Cameron Luxton, said ACT local candidates were still ringing supporters, knocking on doors and dropping off leaflets.
"Our candidates have worked incredibly hard to give ratepayers a real choice for lower rates, less waste and more accountability in local government. Councils make the decisions that affect your daily life, so if you want change, this is your chance to make it happen.
"You only have to look here in Auckland, where a council agency spent $737,000 on a campaign to 'boost positivity' about the city, $800,000 on a Christmas tree and $500,000 on a pool that, at one point, couldn't even be used, because of poor water quality.
"Ratepayers are being told to pay more every year, yet the basics - roads, rubbish and infrastructure - keep being neglected."
The Karanga Plaza Pool, which Mayor Brown has dubbed 'Brownie's Pool', was briefly closed days, after its opening in December 2024, amid warnings from Safeswim.
The campaign manager for left-leaning group City Vision said their candidates and volunteers would continue engaging with local voters, as they had done throughout the campaign.
"To us, it isn't only about getting votes," they said. "This engagement is a public service to increase people's awareness of the local elections, which unfortunately often have a low turnout.
"The importance of voting in these elections lies in the impact local government has on the daily lives of New Zealanders, from the time they turn on the bathroom tap in the morning to the roads that they use to get home in the evening."
Auckland Mayoral candidate Kerrin Leoni said she would campaign right up until midday.
"We are getting great feedback on our last week of campaigning across Auckland. Lots of people have already told me they have voted for me, which is great to hear."
Auckland Council governance and engagement general manager Lou-Ann Ballantyne encouraged Aucklanders to have their say on who represented them.
"At the moment, voter turnout could be stronger and it would be amazing if we get plenty more voters.
"Those who are elected will be making decisions impacting the everyday lives of Aucklanders and our future, so these people will be very important to you. It's essential that they reflect the diversity and voices of Auckland residents.
"However, if people choose not to vote, we can only assume they're comfortable with how things currently are."
The council told RNZ it could not compare voter turnout to this time last elections, as the voting period was extended from 22 days to 32 days this year.
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