The relationship between pre-election reports in New Zealand local governments and voter turnout

This chapter investigates the relationship between the introduction of pre-election reports in New Zealand local governments and voter turnout. Since 2013, New Zealand local governments have been required to prepare a summary report before upcoming elections, in addition to their annual reports, with the purpose of informing voters about the performance of local governments. This study shows that the introduction of pre-election reports is not related to voter turnout, with the mean actually decreasing in the year the new reporting requirement came into effect (2013) when compared to the previous voting year (2010). This raises concerns about the effect of required reports on voters. Using rational choice theory, the chapter contributes to existing literature by investigating the effect of this additional accountability mechanism on voter turnout. The findings will also contribute to practice by way of additional mechanisms for local government accountability.