Voters in the Ashburton District are being encouraged to be as informed as possible about the candidates in the coming local elections, and their reasons for standing.

Council is hosting two meet-the-candidate meetings and also inviting candidates to make a short video about themselves to help voters learn more.

A candidate meeting will be held in Methven on 20 August, and another in Ashburton on 27 August. Both start at 7pm.

Chief Executive Hamish Riach said voter turnout in the Ashburton District in 2022 was about 50 per cent, but that had been tracking down over previous elections.

“Declining voter turnout is a national trend too. Auckland Council surveyed people after the last local elections to find out why they weren’t voting and the top two reasons were people didn’t know anything about the candidates and they didn’t know enough about the policies.

“Another main reason given was they couldn’t work out who to vote for, and that is why we are going the extra mile to give Ashburton voters a chance to be as informed as possible in the local elections this October.”

The candidate evenings will give those standing a chance to introduce themselves and talk about why they want to represent their community. There will be at least two set questions about their priorities and issues they see, and they will have 60 seconds to answer each question.

The audience will also have a chance to ask questions, and talk to the candidates informally after the event over tea and coffee.

The Methven evening will be at the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall and involve Western ward candidates and those standing for the mayoralty.

The Ashburton event will be at the Ashburton College Auditorium and involve Ashburton ward candidates and those hoping to be mayor.

The Ashburton event will also be livestreamed, and people can tune in on the night or view a recorded version on YouTube or Facebook.

Mr Riach said the five candidates standing for the Methven Community Board and the two in the Eastern ward would not be on stage, as there was no election required for them with the number of candidates matching the seats available.

“So come along to our meetings as these are the people who will have a big influence on your daily lives over the next three years, and check out what they have to say.”