Auckland Council votes to replace postal voting with booths for 2028
Tuesday 29 September 2026 · 3 outlets · 4 reports · updated In this story Auckland Council
Auckland Council has voted 13 to three to abandon postal voting in favour of in-person booths for the 2028 local elections. The decision follows allegations of ballot fraud and vote rigging during the 2025 elections in the Manurewa and Ōtara-Papatoetoe local boards.
Key facts
5 facts
- Auckland Council voted 13 to 3 to implement booth voting for the 2028 local elections
- Auckland will be the first New Zealand council to use voting booths since 1992
- Postal voting costs approximately $16 million
- Booth voting is estimated to cost between $39 million and $40 million
- A District Court judge voided the Papatoetoe subdivision election results due to irregularities
The full story
1 min read · 3 outlets
Auckland Council has voted 13 to 3 to abandon the postal voting system in favour of in-person booth voting for the 2028 local elections. This decision makes Auckland the first council in New Zealand to use voting booths since 1992.
The move follows allegations of ballot theft and vote rigging during the 2025 local elections in the Ōtara-Papatoetoe and Manurewa local boards. In the Papatoetoe subdivision, a District Court judge voided election results after finding at least 79 votes were cast by people other than registered electors.
The decision was reached despite concerns regarding the significant increase in costs. While postal voting costs approximately $16 million, booth voting is estimated to cost between $39 million and $40 million.
Mayor Wayne Brown and deputy mayor Desley Simpson recommended a booth voting system with a maximum cost of $20 million. Council chief executive Phil Wilson noted that while staff would attempt to meet this $20 million indicator, they could not promise the system would be delivered at that price.
How it developed
- Tue 29 Sep, 2:50pmAn amendment was put forward to direct staff to attempt to limit the 10-day booth vote cost to $20 million.
Where reports differ
- Estimates for booth voting costs vary between $39 million and $40 million across reports
Compiled from reports by NZ Herald, The Post and 1News.