Online voting could be the best way to get rangatahi to vote in local body elections, according to the Independent Māori Statutory Board.
The board is presenting a submission to the Auckland Council today to trial online voting in next year’s Auckland local body elections.
Chairman David Taipari, says 85 percent of Māori aged 15-24 use the internet for social media networking and rangatahi millennials make up half the Auckland Māori population.
"If there is an opportunity for our rangatahi to get involved in local government politics in a way that makes sense to them, why wouldn't we support that approach? We do and we encourage trialing online voting.”
Taipari expects the Auckland Council to approve the submission to the Justice select committee.
"While voting turnouts in local body elections have historically been lower among Māori than non-Māori, with Māori who are younger and less well off the least likely to vote, this is a real opportunity for our internet-savvy rangatahi to turn history on its head,” says Taipari.
“We need Māori youth politically involved.”
Submissions to the Justice Committee are due by 22 June 2018.