electionz.com – a Christchurch-based company that provides election services (including postal voting and online voting systems) for many South Island and some North Island councils. Look at the impact of privatising local elections over that time on participation rates:1992–1998 : turnout in the 50–55% range. - Sponsor Promotion -2001 (Local Electoral Act introduced, outsourcing becoming the norm) : turnout dropped to ~47% . Ever since we privatised our local elections, turn out has crashed, and that’s because these two private companies don’t care about the participation rate, they care about making money on their contracts! Many poor people and renters bounce from house to house to house and their instability makes it difficult to update election details to vote.