Papatoetoe-Ōtara Action Team has responded regarding a complaint citing alleged electoral malpractice, as a police investigation is under way. The complaint was lodged by the Chief Electoral Officer following the conclusion of the Auckland Council elections last Saturday.
Kunal Bhalla, spokesperson for the Papatoetoe-Ōtara Action Team, told The Indian Weekender that the allegations were under investigation.
“We categorically deny any involvement in unlawful or unethical conduct. Our campaign was conducted with full respect for electoral rules, guided by the values of transparency and fairness,” Bhalla told The Indian Weekender.
“At no time did any member of our team interfere with voting papers, instruct voters inside polling booths or in places of worship, or misuse personal data,” he added.
According to him, as newcomers to local politics, the group entered this campaign “with a goal of serving the community and strengthening representation”.
The allegations in the complaint include engaging in “nightly vote stealing by a team of young boys,” instructed voters how to vote “inside polling booths,” and influenced voters “in places like temples and churches.”
Last week, RNZ reported that it had received a complaint about alleged "electoral malpractice" in relation to the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board.
“It is important that new voices are not prematurely judged or unfairly singled out, particularly given the elevated voter participation this year,” Bhalla told The Indian Weekender.
The New Zealand Herald reported that results from Papatoetoe appeared inconsistent.
While voter turnout declined in most Auckland local board areas, falling by an average of 6.7 percent, it rose by 7.1 percent in the Papatoetoe subdivision.
In comparison, the neighbouring Ōtara subdivision, with similar demographics, saw a 1 percent decline.
Papatoetoe, which holds four seats on the local board (compared to Ōtara’s three), recorded significantly higher votes and achieved a clean-sweep victory.
Kunal Bhalla, Kushma Nair, Sandeep Saini, and Paramjeet Singh each received between 5,137 and 4,540 votes.
In contrast, winning candidates in 2022 received between 3,267 and 3,079 votes, roughly 50 percent fewer, Herald reported.
“Preliminary 2025 results in the Papatoetoe subdivision show our candidates receiving 5,137, 5,119, 4,733, and 4,540 votes respectively,” Bhalla said.
“Auckland Council’s publicly available information indicates that the number of vote boxes increased to 216 in 2025, up from 136 in 2022, while special-voting centres rose to 24, up from eight,” he said.
According to Bhalla, these changes in access, along with significant community outreach and voter-education efforts, provide a credible explanation for the higher turnout and shifts in vote share.
Chief Electoral Officer Dale Ofsoske reportedly confirmed to The New Zealand Herald that he had received several complaints of alleged vote stealing from letterboxes in the Papatoetoe area.
He said one of the complaints had been forwarded to police and was now a police matter.
Bhalla explained, “We will co-operate fully with the Police and any relevant electoral authority.”
The matter has gained renewed significance for the community as investigations into the current allegations continue.
In a separate incident over a decade ago, a candidate came under scrutiny for forging election documents in a bid to win a local body election.
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