Auckland Council has voted to bring back in-person voting for the 2028 local elections, becoming the first council in New Zealand to use voting booths since 1992.
The decision follows a review of voting methods for local elections, which looked at options to strengthen integrity and resilience of the electoral system. The options available under current legislation were postal voting, booth voting, or a combination of both.
Auckland Council General Manager Governance and Engagement Lou-Ann Ballantyne says extensive engagement helped inform the Governing Body's decision.
"We heard consistently from local boards, community partners and many Aucklanders that trust, visibility and convenience are the key considerations when it comes to local elections.
"Booth voting was identified as the strongest option for supporting electoral integrity and public confidence, and the Governing Body has today endorsed these findings.”
Under the new model, Aucklanders will cast their votes at staffed voting booths during an advance voting period and on election day, similar to the way New Zealanders vote in parliamentary elections.
Current estimates indicate a 10-day booth voting election would cost between $31 million and $40 million, compared with approximately $16 million for a postal election.
An amendment was made to the original recommendation directing staff to look at ways of lowering this cost to $20 million, which is just $4m more than estimated postal voting costs. Staff will report back on options for reducing costs in December, with final funding requirements to be considered as part of Auckland Council's Long-term Plan 2027-2037 process.
Ms Ballantyne says detailed planning, including the locations of voting places and technological requirements, will now begin ahead of the 2028 election.
"Auckland Council will now focus on delivering a voting experience that is accessible, convenient and secure for communities across Tāmaki Makaurau."
Auckland Council will continue to advocate for longer-term electoral reform, including greater involvement from the Electoral Commission and future consideration of online voting, should legislative settings permit.
ENDS
Frequently asked questions
Why did the council carry out a review of voting methods?
Every term, the council can make a decision about how to deliver its next election. A comprehensive review was carried out following issues identified in the 2025 election, including low voter turnout, and concerns about the security, integrity and resilience of postal voting.
Why was online voting not considered?
Online voting is not currently permitted under New Zealand's local electoral legislation. Auckland Council can only choose from the voting methods currently allowed by law: postal voting, booth voting or a combination of the two. The council continues to support the investigation of online voting and will advocate for future electoral reforms that could enable it.
Why not use both postal and booth voting to give people greater choice?
A combination model was assessed as the most expensive and operationally complex option. While it provides greater voter choice, it retains many of the risks associated with postal voting while introducing the delivery challenges of booth voting.
How much will booth voting cost?
Current estimates suggest a 10-day booth voting election would cost between $31 million and $40 million, depending on final delivery arrangements and estimated voter turnout. By comparison, a postal voting election is estimated to cost approximately $16 million, and a combination of postal and booth voting would cost between 42.4 million to $48.1 million.
Following direction from councillors for staff to investigate a cap of $20 million, staff will report back on options for reducing this cost in December, with final funding requirements to be considered as part of Auckland Council's Long-term Plan 2027-2037 process.
How will the additional cost be funded?
The current budget provision for the 2028 election is insufficient for any of the voting options considered in the review. Additional funding requirements will be considered through Auckland Council's Long-term Plan 2027-2037 process.
Where will people be able to vote?
Voting locations have not yet been finalised, however planning will begin to identify convenient, accessible voting places across Auckland.
Community feedback highlighted support for locations where people are likely to visit as part of their everyday lives, including supermarkets, transport hubs, shopping centres, libraries and schools.
How long will the voting period be?
The Governing Body decided that the voting period will be 10 days. Community feedback and local board views generally favoured a voting period of around 10 days, providing two weekends and a full working week for people to vote.
Will voters receive information about candidates before voting?
Yes. Auckland Council recognises that voters need time to consider candidate information before casting their vote. The council is exploring the best way to provide candidate information under a booth voting model. This includes looking at online tools that will help people not only find out more about the candidates but also enable them to make decisions that can help them vote quickly and efficiently on the day. Other options include making candidate information booklets available at voting locations, in other public places such as libraries and community facilities, and potentially distributing to households if costs allow.
How will accessibility be maintained?
Accessibility will be a key consideration in planning for the 2028 elections. Auckland Council will work to ensure voting places are convenient, inclusive and accessible for all voters, supported by accessible venues, multilingual and Easy Read information, and with targeted support for people who face barriers to participation.
What about Aucklanders who are overseas or outside Auckland during the election?
The council recognises the need to ensure voting remains accessible for Aucklanders who are travelling, living overseas or temporarily outside the region. Staff will continue working with central government on possible legislative and operational solutions ahead of the 2028 elections.
What feedback did Auckland Council receive during consultation?
Feedback showed broad support for moving away from a solely postal voting model. Of the 21 local boards, 13 supported booth voting, four supported a combination of postal and booth voting, and four supported retaining postal voting. Community partners generally favoured booth voting because of its perceived security, visibility and similarity to parliamentary elections.
Across all stakeholder groups there was strong agreement on the need to strengthen public confidence in local elections, improve civic education and voter awareness, provide accessible and convenient voting opportunities, and continue exploring longer-term electoral reforms such as online voting and greater involvement from the Electoral Commission.
What happens next?
Auckland Council will now begin detailed planning for the 2028 elections, including identifying voting locations, developing accessibility measures, confirming operational requirements and planning voter education campaigns. Further work will also be undertaken to refine costs and implementation arrangements, with funding to be considered through the Long-term Plan 2027-2037 process. Aucklanders will receive more information as planning progresses closer to the 2028 elections. The council will also outline to central government what regulatory and legislative changes would help to deliver the 2028 elections.