Why run a Mayoral poll?

Derek Handley says why his charitable foundation commissioned Auckland Mayoral election polling...

At the last general election I was really keen to get young voters engaged and backed the concept of the Virgin Voter Collective and party-matching app Candidate to try and make it happen. The campaigns worked and had a significant impact on reversing the decline of voter engagement of 18-34 year old Kiwis when we measured influence in national surveys after the election.

This year Auckland is selecting a new Mayor at a critical time given the early maturation of the ‘Supercity’ and the housing crisis the city is most definitely in. The Mayor is arguably the second most influential public role in New Zealand and is at the head of a collective of organisations directing billions of dollars of assets and revenue, touching Aucklanders every single day.

As important as this is, not many seem to be investing in providing the transparency to gauge how the candidates are going, which I think is vital to keeping the conversation strong and making sure Aucklanders exercise their right to vote Auckland in the direction they think it should go. Polls can often trigger more people talking about the election, wanting to learn more and enquire as to what the possibilities indicate and what they as an individual can or should do to see the change they seek.

In that light the Aera Foundation has commissioned a poll for Auckland’16 and is releasing the results today which you can find here.

Aera is a charitable trust in New Zealand that invests in campaigns and causes addressing social issues. It is a non-partisan organisation aiming to encourage voter engagement, empowering people to make their voices heard and to participate in important decisions that will affect our collective future. The future of our city is a key driver for the wellbeing and success of New Zealand and all New Zealanders and one that we should all be concerned and engaged with.

Update: The Spinoff have done a breakdown of the results.