Ardern Delays NZ Election
On Monday, to the surprise of international onlookers, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, delayed the country’s election by one month.
The delay is the result of numerous factors, many of which are tied to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the resurgence of cases in Auckland, the nation has moved back into stage two restrictions, with Auckland increasing to stage three restrictions. As a result, the election has not only been delayed to allow time to ensure the safety of voters, but also to allow time for more traditional, in-person campaigning.
At the same time, an article in The Conversation has called into question the effectiveness of this conventional campaigning. In this story, Ryan Stanton delves deeper into how this delay will really effect the election, as well as the variety of reasons behind it.