A record low turnout is being predicted for Saturday's local government elections.
Only 16% of people have returned their votes in the country's largest local government, Auckland, compared with 24.8% who had returned their votes at the same time last election.
At this rate, the election is heading for a final turnout of 34%, compared with 51% last time.
Few new issues have surfaced in the four-way race and just five days remain to attract the one million potential voters.
Incumbent Len Brown; centre-right challenger John Palino, the Mana party's John Minto; and Uesifili Unasa have not sparked any flashpoint issues with voters.
The campaign for a living wage of $18.40 an hour for council staff and contractors now has support from all candidates except Mr Palino.
Mr Brown's support is conditional on the council's finding savings to fund it.
LGNZ wants review
Local Government New Zealand president Lawrence Yule is calling for a review of how local elections are carried out as councils around the country report poor returns of voting papers.
Mr Yule told Morning Report the postal voting system is part of the problem, as people leave the forms around the house and never return them.
He supports a return to polling booths in combination with electronic voting.
Director of the Public Management Group at Massey University, Andy Asquith, says more engagement with the public would fix low voter turnout.
He says online voting, which could be trialled at the next local election, won't improve voter turnout because it's even more of a disconnection from the public.
Dr Asquith says polling booths would be one solution.
