How to win a council seat with $58

By Kira Carrington, Local Democracy Reporter

Marlborough councillor Cyril Dawson’s largest campaign expense last year was printing and laminating signs with his face on them.

In fact, it was his only expense. He spent a grand total of $58.60 on his local body election campaign, the Marlborough District Council’s electoral expenses and donations returns reveal.

Even so, Dawson got the second most votes in the Blenheim ward, at 1095 votes.

That worked out about 5 cents per vote, the lowest expenditure per vote of those who spent money on their campaigns, beating even incumbent mayor Nadine Taylor’s landslide victory at 33 cents per vote.

“That doesn’t take into account the petrol I used to put my trailer around all over town in six weeks,” Dawson said.

After failing to be elected three times, and coming very close on the third attempt, Dawson said his strategy for his fourth attempt was relatively simple ‒ put posters up and talk to people.

“I wasn't going to go out and spend hundreds or thousands on it. No, I just couldn't afford that,” he said.

Dawson said he took his trailer, sporting a campaign poster, and parked it in strategic places around Blenheim “where a lot of advertising wasn’t done”.

His superpower wasn’t just name recognition but the values he stood for, he said.

“It just shows you what the ratepayers want ... a different voice around that table.

“A good old grassroots ratepayer on council.”

Lower end

While Dawson spent just $58, some incumbent councillors opted not to spend anything at all.

Councillor David Croad spent nothing on his re-election but received the highest number of votes in the Blenheim ward, at 1942 votes.

Croad said he didn’t believe people voted based on “whether they saw a flyer in the mailbox”.

“I've always been one to let my actions do the talking, and not wanting to go out there and make great big, bold statements about what I'm going to do or what I've done,” Croad said.

“That whole sort of puff your chest out and shamelessly promote yourself, it's not my style.

“People know who I am and know my background. They're either going to support me or they're not.”

But not spending money didn’t mean he took his council seat for granted, Croad said. Rather he believed in a consistent social media presence, and showing up for the community.

“I just spent a lot of time talking to people in the business community ... and answering questions and going to everything that you’re invited to and just taking every opportunity to be seen and heard.”

Higher end

On the other end of the expense scale, ACT councillors John Hyndman and Malcolm Taylor topped electoral spending, with Hyndman spending about $5500 and Taylor spending about $4900.

Hyndman spent $5.40 per vote, and Taylor spent $7 per vote.

But the councillors said a significant portion of their expenses was the value of the campaign management services donated by the ACT Party.

An ACT spokesperson said the party provided campaign management services to their candidates such as training, design services, campaign planning, media support, logistics messaging, advertising and copywriting.

ACT had donated those services to each of the party’s 46 local election candidates around the country, who each had to declare their value as a campaign donation, as well as any extras from the party such as the delivery of branded leaflets or hoardings, although Taylor had to pay for them to be printed.

“No actual money changed hands at all,” Taylor said.

Taylor said he put some of his own money into the campaign, footing the bill for social media adverts, hoardings (though shipping was paid for by ACT), and a spare phone for all campaign-related business.

Taylor credited his victory to his conservative stance, which differentiated him from the other Marlborough Sounds candidates, he said.

“All the other five were all pro-Māori wards. I was in anti-Māori ward. The others are all agreeing with current rate rises. I was the one saying, ‘no, let's get them down’,” Taylor said.

“They gave me a big advantage because those who are slightly right-wing only had me to vote for.”

Hyndman said he personally spent around $2000, also paying for signage, flyers, and media advertising and “other bits and pieces”.

His victory was greatly aided not so much by resources, as by the large ACT membership base in the region, he said, describing it as a team effort.

“They helped me deliver pamphlets and ... they helped me set up the the hoardings. So it was more just the support people on the ground, which they weren’t paid for, it was all volunteer services.”

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