By-elections to the Auckland City Council occur to fill vacant seats in the City Council. The death, resignation, bankruptcy or expulsion of a sitting Councillor can cause a by-election to occur.
Background Local by-elections usually had a lower turnout compared to full local body elections. A notorious example occurred in August 1961 when a vacancy triggered the second by-election in under a year which had a turnout of only 3.65% of voters, prompting Mayor Dove-Myer Robinson to label the light turnout "...absolutely disgraceful. By failing to exercise their democratic right the public is just asking Parliament to take away from them the right to vote". By-elections on the city council were on occasion deferred if a substantial majority of the council agreed to fill the vacancy by appointment, resulting in the highest polling unsuccessful candidate at the previous election being appointed to the council unless there is a public demand for a poll to be held (known as extraordinary vacancies). This arrangement has happened several times such as in 1940 when Charles Bailey resigned his seat which was taken by Harry Butcher and March 1953 when Arthur Bailey died and his seat was taken by Bob Beechey.
Two future Mayors of Auckland (John Allum and Dove-Myer Robinson) entered the council via by-elections in 1920 and 1952 respectively.
List of by-elections Between 1903 and 1986 municipal elections in Auckland were conducted at-large. Between 1986 and 2010 municipal elections in Auckland were held via a Wards system of local electoral districts. The following is a list of by-elections held to fill vacancies on the Auckland City Council:
Key United Independents Civic Reform Ward Date Incumbent Cause WinnerAt-large2 April 1908Robert StopfordResignationJohn PattersonAt-large14 October 1909Moncrieff Murray McCallumResignationRalph Thomas MichaelsAt-large18 May 1910Lemuel BagnallResignationHenry ShawAt-large2 September 1910Herbert SmeetonResignationJonathan Trevethick At-large 18 November 1920Ernest Davis ResignationJohn AllumAndrew EntricanGeorge HutchisonAt-large22 December 1921Patrick NerhenyDeathGeorge Davis At-large 28 April 1922Harold Dennett Heather DeathAlfred LawryPeter Mitchell MackaySamuel CrookesAt-large25 October 1922Horatio BagnallDeathChristopher FurnessAt-large7 November 1928Frederick BrinsdenDeathTom BloodworthAt-large27 May 1936John William YarnallDeathJim PurtellAt-large6 July 1938George RichardsonDeathCharles BaileyAt-large5 April 1952Howard HunterExpulsionDove-Myer Robinson At-large 16 October 1954Fred Ambler ExpulsionFred AmblerBruce Barnett ResignationVal ChapmanAt-large14 December 1957Keith ButtleResignationWilfred FortuneAt-large4 October 1958Howard HunterDeathCharlie PassmoreAt-large4 February 1961James Neil BradleyDeathVal ChapmanAt-large26 August 1961Mary DreaverDeathHoward Jeffreys At-large 20 April 1963Tom PearceExpulsionTom PearceFred de Malmanche ResignationWilliam Grant-MackieAt-large10 February 1979Bill BarrettDeathRichard NortheyAvondale5 December 1987Barry DonovanDeathBrian MaudeCentral12 November 1988Harold GoodmanDeathSue CorbettMaungakiekie4 May 1991Grahame ThorneResignationKen GrahamHauraki Gulf Islands28 May 1994Sandra LeeResignationGordon HodsonAvondale-Roskill11 November 2000Phil RaffillsDeathNoelene RaffillsAvondale-Roskill9 April 2008Linda LeightonDeathJohn Lister
Results 1908 by-election
1909 by-election
May 1910 by-election
September 1910 by-election
1920 by-election
1921 by-election
April 1922 by-election
October 1922 by-election
1928 by-election
1936 by-election
1938 by-election
1952 by-election
1954 by-election
1957 by-election
1958 by-election
February 1961 by-election
August 1961 by-election
1963 by-election
1979 by-election
1987 by-election, Avondale Ward
1988 by-election, Central Ward
1991 by-election, Maungakiekie Ward
1994 by-election, Hauraki Gulf Islands Ward
2000 by-election, Avondale/Roskill Ward
2008 by-election, Avondale/Roskill Ward
Notes
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