Auckland Council weighs booth voting for 2028 elections at three times the cost of postal

Auckland Council is considering general election-style polling booths for its 2028 local elections to address turnout that fell to 29 percent in 2025 — the lowest since the super-city was formed in 2010. A council report estimated booth voting would cost $39–55 million, against $15.5 million for postal voting. Staff warned that changing the voting method alone was unlikely to reverse low participation.