A briefing session on Tuesday, July 1 for prospective candidates for the local government elections in October should clear up what they can and can’t do while campaigning.
It should also touch on the redress process for those who want to correct any misleading statements made by candidates while electioneering.
Taupō District Council’s electoral officer Warwick Lampp will be running the briefing session on Tuesday, July 1 at 6 pm at Waiora House.
Lampp could appreciate that the use of social media may save a lot of legwork for candidates, but he said it can also lead to issues.
Inaccurate statements would need to be challenged with a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), he said.
It did not matter whether a candidate had been officially nominated yet, said Lampp, if they have stated they would be standing then effectively they had started campaigning.
There is a limit to what can be challenged though.
ASA chief executive Hilary Souter said the authority covered paid general and local election advertising, including promoted social media posts, however organic posts on a social media profile or statements at a public meeting were not covered under its jurisdiction.
Organic social media content is any free content shared on social media profiles including posts, videos, stories and more.
If a complaint is upheld, the ad is requested to be amended or removed.
“We have a 99 per cent compliance rate with these requests. The reputational damage of an upheld decision acts as a significant deterrent.”
The complaints board met fortnightly, she said, so the standard time to process complaints was quite short.
“But we do run a fast-track process closer to the election. Between September 9 and October 11, the fast-track system will deal with local election complaints. Normally advertisers and media platforms will be given 24 hours to comment, and the adjudication will take place 24-48 hours later.”
The July 1 briefing session will also cover key dates, the nomination process, the different roles, general and Māori wards, the Māori Ward poll, and what being an elected member involves.
TDC deputy electoral officer Shainey James said she hoped to see a wide range of people at the briefing.
“Taupō District needs leaders from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
“Becoming a councillor is a great opportunity to help the community. A democracy only succeeds if people are prepared to give it a go, do their bit and have a say…
"This role is both demanding and rewarding – you’ll drive change that benefits people and communities now and for generations to come,” she said.
The session will be livestreamed at youtube.com@TaupoDistrictCouncilNZ.
Viewers can send any questions in advance to sjames@taupo.govt.nz.
Candidate nominations are open from July 4 until 12 noon on Friday August 1.
