275 Times September 2017

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SOMETHING WORTH The election is coming up fast! Saturday, 23 September is Election Day. That’s when we’ll get to choose the people who will make the big decisions about our health, transport, housing and education for the next three years. So, what’s important to you? Is there a party you think will best represent your ideas and values? Which candidate do you think will do the best job of representing us? The 275 Times team went to the Māngere Markets to ask people how they feel about the upcoming election. What’s my vote going to do? Via, a 26 year old, was frustrated that other young people didn’t seem bothered about voting. “The young ones have this mentality of – you know, ‘oh, what’s my vote gonna do?’ When really, all of them put together could turn it one way or the other. I think they’re just not seeing it.” Sadly, Via is right. The Electoral Commission recently reported that around 450,000 people were still not registered to vote. Worryingly, over half of those people are under 30. How do you choose? Speaking to Carla, an 18-year-old living in Māngere, we discovered that she didn’t know that there was an election this year. “I don’t get it? Voting for who exactly? I’m just not These online tools might help you as you’re thinking about your choice: • y http://onthefence.co.nz/ • y http://policy.thespinoff.co.nz/ • y https://votecompass.tvnz.co.nz/ 4 Above: Denise has missed out on voting in the past, but she’s ready to vote this year. bothered because I just don’t know about it,” she said. Do you feel like this too? It can be hard to make decisions without the information you need. Try searching the internet, have a look at some of the online tools listed on this page, or talk to friends and family about the election. Busy on 23 September? Vote early! Denise (pictured above) is determined to use her vote this year. In the past, when her children were little she sometimes missed out on voting. She had young twins and it was difficult to find someone to watch them so she could go to the voting place. If you, like Denise, might find it hard to get to a polling place on 23 September – Election Day – think about voting early. Voting actually starts on Monday, 11 September and you can vote early at the Māngere Arts Centre. Let YOUR voice be heard Voting gives each of us an equal opportunity to tell the politicians
VOTING FOR! TOP TIPS TO MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT THIS YEAR: If you’re already enrolled • y You can vote on election day – Saturday 23 Sept 2017. • y Find your nearest voting place at www.elections.org.nz • y OR You can vote early from Monday 11 September at the Māngere Arts Centre. • y You'll get an EasyVote card in the mail. Take it with you to make voting quicker. If you forget your card – don’t worry, you’ll still be able to vote. Above: Philippa makes sure she’s on the electoral role. “THE YOUNG ONES HAVE THIS MENTALITY OF – YOU KNOW, ‘OH, WHAT’S MY VOTE GONNA DO?’ WHEN REALLY, ALL OF THEM PUT TOGETHER COULD TURN IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. I THINK THEY’RE JUST NOT SEEING IT.” what’s important to us, our whānau and our community. Alan, who has just become a permanent resident, is now entitled to enrol and to vote. “I’ve been calling Māngere East home for 7 years now and I’m If you're not enrolled yet, it’s NOT too late. Check out our tips for making a special vote. very excited about being able to vote for the first time,” he says. “I feel that this electorate needs to engage more in the voting process. By being enrolled to vote and voting we’ll be able to build the voice that this area needs.” If you haven’t enrolled yet • y DON’T PANIC! You can make a special vote. It’ll take a tiny bit longer, but it will be worth it! • y The easiest thing to do is visit the Māngere Arts Centre from Monday 11 September. There you’ll be able to enrol and vote at the same time. But you’ll need to do this BEFORE election day. • y OR you can call the elections team on 0800 36 76 56. They will help you get enrolled so you can vote. At the voting place: • y You’ll be given a voting paper. • y You get two votes. That means you get to put TWO ticks on the voting paper. • y Your party vote is for the party you prefer. Vote for only ONE party. • y Your electorate vote is for the candidate you would like to be your Member of Parliament (MP). • y If you only complete the party vote, or only complete the candidate vote, it will still count. • y If you make a mistake – don’t worry – just tell the staff. They’ll give you a new voting paper. 5
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275 Times September 2017

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