Working out who to vote for.

As someone running for the Regional Council, I'm faced with trying to introduce myself to a ward that is almost the size of two central Government electorates.  You can find out more about the extent and nature of that ward here.

 With the help of a large number of other people, I've put out about 17,000 leaflets with quite a few still to go.  I've put up some billboards and I've been posting on Facebook.  I have turned up to markets, answered surveys, attended candidates evenings/ events and done a little bit of door knocking and phone calling. Overall as a candidate, I'm working hard to get the word out and to help those interested find out about me.  

I'm also aware that only about 30-40% of eligible voters actually vote in local body elections and that many say they have no way to judge the candidates.  I agree that the booklet of 150 word summaries about each candidate doesn't offer a great deal. However, it does allow you to see something of each candidate and to at least narrow down your options. At the same time, candidates can say whatever they want to, so it pays to do some checking before you vote.

Many know that some independents are part of Voices for Freedom (VFF) candidates and are not putting that into their public information.  As such some voters are nervous about not knowing enough about who they are voting for.  I would note that the People's Choice have run candidates for a number elections over the last 10-15 years and all candidates have been through a selection process, so you can be sure their candidates are not VFF supporters.

Finding out more

However, with a wee bit of effort, voters can actually find out quite a lot about most candidates and if you can't, it is worth being cautious about voting for them.  

• Google, or any other search engine, makes a good start.  Candidates that want to get in will be trying to put information out and will probably be easy enough to find.
• Some newspapers run features that include all candidates, although some only run those for candidates who have paid. 
  
• Most candidates have Facebook pages and some of them have a good history, so you can get a feeling for the kinds of interests and values that people have. 
• Papers sometimes also run features that evaluate the performance of candidates that were in over the previous term. Online searches can throw up articles about the way people voted on some issues which can tell you something about those that have already won an election. 
• Interest groups also sometimes put out information about candidates based on surveys that they run.  If you have similar interests to those groups then those surveys can provide an indication of the sort of values and background that candidates have.  Check their Facebook pages or websites for that information.
  
• Asking friends, or working with friends is a good idea when you get your voting papers.  Mostly I've done this by email but a group of 5 or more friends can split the job of finding stuff out and also help discuss the pros and cons of different people.   
• Asking friend you think might know them.  Christchurch is a relatively small place so there is a good chance you can track down people who know of them, at least.
• Look for videos or podcasts - these can be useful for sizing up Mayoral candidates.
• Going to your local candidates' events is also useful. Many residents associations or other community groups put on these events so check out their Facebook pages or Webpages.
  
• If you are interested in a candidate but want to know more, you can try emailing or ringing them directly for more information. 
• Read to the end of the 150 word book - the best candidate could be the last one in the booklet, so at least skim through all the candidates' profiles.