A police investigation is underway after the Chief Electoral Officer lodged a complaint alleging serious electoral malpractice during the Auckland Council elections, which concluded last Saturday.
According to The New Zealand Herald, the complaint alleges individuals in Papatoetoe of engaging in “nightly vote stealing by a team of young boys,” instructing voters how to vote “inside polling booths,” and influencing voters “in places like temples and churches.”
Chief Electoral Officer Dale Ofsoske from Election Services reportedly confirmed to The 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 that it was now a police matter.
The Herald stated that it had sighted the complaint, and police confirmed they were investigating. A police spokesperson was quoted by The Herald as saying that they had received reports of alleged electoral fraud linked to the Papatoetoe Council elections. The spokesperson said enquiries were in the early stages and remained ongoing.
Ofsoske also indicated, as quoted by The Herald, that the complaint would not delay the release of official results, scheduled for Saturday. He added that the results for Papatoetoe would not be suspended or delayed and that any future action would depend on the outcome of the police investigation and possible court decisions.
The Herald reported that the results from Papatoetoe appeared unusual. While voter turnout declined in most Auckland local board areas—with an average drop of 6.7 percent—it rose by 7.1 percent in Papatoetoe. 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 support for four new candidates, who achieved a clean-sweep victory. According to The Herald, Kunal Bhalla, Kushma Nair, Sandeep Saini, and Paramjeet Singh each received between 5137 and 4540 votes. In contrast, winning candidates in 2022 received between 3267 and 3079 votes—approximately 50 percent fewer.
The increase suggests a substantial influx of new votes rather than a shift away from other candidates. The Herald reported that all four winning candidates belonged to a new ticket, the Papatoetoe–Ōtara Action Team, which made significant inroads in a traditionally Labour-leaning area.
The Herald has contacted the four candidates for comment. Police enquiries into the alleged electoral fraud remain ongoing.