Papatoetoe by-election: Councillor urges voters to watch for postal risks

Manukau ward councillor Lotu Fuli is urging Papatoetoe voters to stay alert as nominations close for a by-election triggered after last year’s election was voided.

The Manukau District Court ruled last month that there were irregularities in the 2025 election, including postal ballots cast multiple times.

The judge found evidence of widespread electoral fraud and ordered a fresh vote for the Papatoetoe subdivision of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board.

Fuli said the court could order a new election, not change the voting method.

“It still has to be a postal vote,” she says. “The judge can’t change the voting system; he could only order a new election.”

She urged voters who do not receive their voting papers to act quickly. “If people don’t get their voting paper, they must do a special vote,” she says. “That’s the only honest way to make sure their vote gets counted.”

Manukau ward councillor Lotu Fuli is urging voters to be vigilant. Photo/Auckland Council

Fuli encouraged residents to report suspicious activity. “If you see something happening, take out your phone, film it, notify the police, and let us know so we can alert the returning officer,” she says.

Auckland Council confirmed the Papatoetoe by-election must again be conducted by postal vote under the Local Electoral Act 2021.

Oliver Roberts, the council’s Head of Governance Programmes and Policies, said candidates receive lists showing who has voted and who has not, a system that helped uncover last year’s irregularities.

The Papatoetoe subdivision, where a court-ordered by-election will be held. Photo/Auckland Council

“No system is bulletproof”, but he says elections have delivered “robust results for many years”.

“Re-running the election is actually the first step in rebuilding trust in this process,” he says.

Voters who have not received their voting papers by 21 March can contact Election Services to confirm eligibility and cast a special vote at Papatoetoe or Manukau Library. The council encourages residents to watch for their papers and vote as soon as they arrive.

The estimated cost of rerunning the Papatoetoe subdivision election is around $200,000, including marketing. Nominations opened on 31 December 2025 and close at midday on Wednesday, 28 January.

Candidates can submit online or using forms available from Papatoetoe and Manukau libraries, the electoral office, or via Vote Auckland. Candidates must be New Zealand citizens, 18 years old or older, enrolled on the electoral roll, and have been eligible on 1 August 2025, the original nomination date.

Each nomination must be supported by two voters from the Papatoetoe subdivision and include a $200 deposit, refundable if the candidate polls more than 25 per cent of the lowest successful candidate.

The final list of candidates will be announced shortly after nominations close, with profiles released closer to the start of voting.

The by-election will be held on Thursday, 9 April 2026, with voting opening Monday, 9 March and closing midday Thursday, 9 April. Results will be announced on Friday, 10 April.

Papatoetoe voters will elect four representatives in the by-election. Photo/Auckland Council

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.