Elections, local body style

If you have been wondering at the increased amount of junk mail appearing in your letterbox now you know why.

The search for publicity has resulted in a plague of hording greater in number and variety than what a general election results in. There are various coloured fliers from hopeful councilors, community board members and mayor as well as other interest groups attempting to tell us who the vote for.

Today's letterbox insult is bright orange, in duplicate, and helpfully informs me which of the council candidates are against an airport at Whenuapai. Well it would be helpful if I hadn't received much the same thing word for word on a dark green piece of paper last week, again in duplicate.

Then there are the various antics of these local body hopefuls.

One was outside a mall yesterday handing out more leaflets identical to 3 that have already turned up in the letterbox. This from a lady who has spent a serious amount on hoardings that look the same as her leaflets. Then there is the artsy anti airport type who despite not getting within a Saharan snowballs reach of getting on council last time, is now standing for mayor. She was standing down near the on ramp today dressed in what looked suspiciously like recycled floor length cream wedding dress with a "vote for me" placard decorated with fake flowers.

Eye catching, yes, but vote catching? I think not.

I have even heard a report of a hording that just stated the candidates name, a two word request to vote him onto the ARC and his occupation. Well I think it was his occupation, I haven't been able to get check that out. The hording seems to have gone missing. A pity really, my informant can't remember his name and I reckon the ARC probably needs a rocket scientist.

I dear say such antics have been going on up an down the country while conscientious types puzzle over their postal ballot papers and candidate booklets. Some are puzzling more than others. Some people in Carterton are trying to match the names of the Central Otago candidates to their voting forms while those in Masterton are trying to figure out just how many they can vote in. There have been further printing problems in Auckland's Eden-Albert ward and Waimakariri as well.

Why are General elections never so amusing?

As for the former councilor/mayor/local MP/current list MP that is again standing for council like it is some sort of retirement plan. Just don't get me started.