A Tauranga City Councillor's discussion for a more representational-based voting system has been scuppered by colleagues' belief the city is content with simply sticking to First Past the Post.

Under the Local Electoral Act 2001, Tauranga City Council has the opportunity to review the electoral system –First Past the Post or Single Transferrable Vote – following the local body elections.
Tauranga City Councillor Gail McIntosh.

The decision is to be adopted in time for the next triennial elections in October 2016.

In council chambers on Monday councillors voted 8-3 in favour of retaining the FPP system, with councillor Gail McIntosh, Catherine Stewart and Rich Curach in opposition.

Traditionally FPP has been the only electoral system used for all local government and District Health Board elections. In 2004 STV became mandatory for DHB's while councils still have the ability to choose.

Speaking to SunLive, Gail believes a change is needed towards a fair and favourable representation of minorities, including women, in terms of representation on local bodies.

'This (STV) is one step forward to getting better representation in our community.”

STV is designed to achieve proportional representation through ranked voting in multi-seat voting districts.

Under STV, a person has a single vote that is initially allocated to their most preferred candidate and, as the count proceeds and candidates are either elected or eliminated, is transferred to other candidates according to the voter's stated preferences, in proportion to any surplus or discarded votes.

Gail says her colleagues' approach to retain a 'simple” method without seriously considering the fairer benefits is disappointing.

'First Past the Post isn't as good as STV because it takes longer to get an answer. Well I don't think that matters at all.

'What if it wasn't two or three days until we got our results like the DHB. It doesn't matter you are electing people for three years and you are electing them for important things.”

A chorus of councillors believe FPP is a voting system that is tried and true and with no community indication for change why do so.

'It's been a voting system that's been around for a 100 years and people understand it,” says councillor Clayton Mitchell.

'I remember getting taught it when I was at school. It's the most preferred and most simple.”

Councillor Bill Grainger says council must stay with of simplicity to not confuse the public judging by last year's 38 per cent of voting turnout.

Councillor Bev Edlin says if the current voting system 'isn't broke” then why go to the trouble of fixing it.