It’s In The Ballot is a live webshow covering the 2022 Local Body Elections in the Wellington region. Based on the format of the kiwi TV show It’s In The Bag, each episode will introduce you to the candidates in a particular area, covering all wards in the Greater Wellington Region, including a Wairarapa show in Carterton. Each show will be filmed in front of a live audience at a community venue in the relevant area. It will also be broadcast live online and be available to re-watch later, with highlights appearing on Facebook and TikTok.
Our aims are:
– to allow candidates an equal opportunity to have their voices and ideas heard;
– to help the public decide who to vote for;
– and to allow constituents to meet and mingle with the candidates that want to represent them in their local government.
WE ARE VOLUNTEERS
It’s in the Ballot is run by volunteers as a non-profit organisation called It’s in the Ballot Productions. We are approaching local businesses for sponsorship (if you are interested please email Sam itsintheballot@gmail.com or Stacey at itsintheballotproductions@gmail.com and donations can be made to each show HERE. This helps us cover things like venue & equipment hire, travel, and broadcasting costs.
HOW IT WORKS
Each It’s In The Ballot episode is a 2-hour show with an intermission. Thirty sealed boxes containing questions will be chosen in turn by candidates, and the candidate will have to answer that question. These questions will be submitted by the community, either HERE or by calling 0508 BALLOT (toll free), to ensure questions are relevant to each community.
The Candidates are given a list of the questions before the show date in order to prepare themselves for the show. Before each show, the question cards will be placed randomly into the boxes and sealed by an independent person who is not part of our crew, and then placed on the ballot box tables. The Candidates chosen box is unsealed on-air by the co-host, who then reads out the question for the Candidate to answer.
In keeping with the style of It’s In The Bag, there will also be two Booby Boxes:
– Dodge The Question: the candidate uses this card to skip a question and choose another box.
– Defer The Question: the candidate keeps this card and uses it at their discretion to pass a question to another candidate of their choosing, then choose another box.
The first round of each show will be an Opening Statement round, in which each candidate will introduce themselves and what they stand for. Candidates will then take turns to choose boxes and answer the question inside.
After an hour, we will take a 10-15 minute intermission, and then return to the show. During Intermission some pre-recorded material is shown, such as interviewing locals in the community on what they want from a candidate and which local issues they would like to see addressed.
After the intermission, there will be a Hard Hitting Questions segment, covering hot topic issues for the area, and featuring the most commonly submitted questions for that area. There will then be another round of box questions, until all 30 boxes have been opened or as time permits.
Towards the end of the show, candidates will give their closing statements, including what the first project is that they would like to achieve on the council and which portfolios they would like to hold while in office.
OUR GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE
Each ward in each of Wellington’s Regional, District, and City Councils will have their own show. In addition, the Mayoral races for each Council will have their own shows as well. This will ensure that candidates in each show will have an equal playing field, and to make sure questions can be directed at any candidate. Wards that are likely to have a larger number of running candidates have been split into two shows to allow candidates the time to answer more than one or two questions each.
NZ SUFFRAGE ANNIVERSARY
To honour the NZ Suffrage Anniversary on Tuesday 19th September, this show will be female hosted.
OUR TEAM
Sam Somers – Founder / Host / Executive Producer (pictured)
Sam Somers stood in both the 2016 and 2019 local body elections for Greater Wellington Regional Council and noticed in 2019 that when you have over 20 candidates standing it made it much very hard to get your message across especially when residents associations invited all candidates standing for office to the one meeting resulting in getting only about 30secs to get your message across and you might be lucky if you can answer questions. Also often noticed was voters confusion asking you questions about where you are not standing, why you weren’t at another meet the candidates that you weren’t invited to and what your council are doing to do that was another councils responsibility. After the 2019 election myself and my campaign manager talked about the ups and downs, Mel who had mobility issues said if it was for me and the car, she would likely never made a meet the candidates meeting and be none of the wiser on who to vote for. I said i want to do a Webshow that follows a similar format to the TV Show It’s in the Bag, so people who can not make it to a meet the candidates can watch online at home in their own time. Mel said the show should be called It’s in the Ballot since it will follow the It’s in the Bag format of taking the show to the local town hall. Aunty Suzie also put in her valuable 2cents worth stating well if you can going to call it, “It’s in the Ballot” then your questions should be in sealed bags or sealed boxes and get the candidates to give a number and answer that question, and the format was born.
Stacey Ryan – Chief Camera Operator / Alternate Host
Ray Ching – Camera Operator / Production Manager / Editor 1
Andre De Groot – 2nd Camera Operator
