JUST because people do not vote does not mean they are apathetic, disengaged or lazy, a Gisborne “non-voter” says.

Stuart Moriarty-Patten was one of the more than one million eligible voters who did not vote this election.

Out of the total eligible population of 3,569,830, 28.5 percent, or 1,015,956 people, did not vote (based on the 2,169,802 votes counted on Saturday and the 384,072 estimated special votes still to be counted).

Of the 3,252,269 people who were enrolled nationwide, the Electoral Commission estimates more than 20 percent did not vote.

Mr Moriarty-Patten said he understood why many did not vote.

“I know it's easy to dismiss people who don’t vote as lazy, or ignorant, but I think a lot of people make a positive decision not to vote.

“Conversely, I think it's apathetic voting every three years and going, ‘That’s it, that’s my job done, my citizenship ends today and it will come back in three years time’.”

As an anarchist, Mr Moriarty-Patten believes in socialism but is fundamentally opposed to a top-down form of centralised government.

“I believe in democracy, but at a grassroots level, where people in their own areas are making decisions, and any decisions move upwards to the top, not downwards from the top.

“Anarchism is socialism without government. So not Soviet Russia, but a world where everything is owned in common by everyone and things are allocated according to need, and people give to the best of their ability.”

Tairawhiti anarchistsHe knew a few other people in Tairawhiti who described themselves as anarchists, and said many of those who did not vote might also share a similar view.

“The majority of people I talk to who don’t vote, they say ‘What's the point? Nothing will change’.

“Elections are a bit of a farce. We are presented with an illusion of choice. We are not being offered any real alternatives.”

The English-born Gisborne resident had only voted once in his life, in 1997, the first time former British Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair was elected.

He does not encourage others not to vote, rather to be aware that by voting all the struggles in their lives would not go away.

“Our system creates laziness. People hand over responsibility to someone else for the next three years.

“Rather than seek solutions and take action in their own communities, they hand over the responsibility to a representative who does what they please.

“It also fosters a reliance on leaders, with us looking to them to solve our problems for us.”

Although many perceive anarchism as window-smashing rioters, the perception could not be further from the truth.

“That portrayal comes from ignorance and those who feel threatened,” Mr Moriarty-Patten said.

“We are genuinely nice people. We want everybody to have the best of everything, for everybody.

“Anarchism is a common-sense way the world should be organised.

“Capitalism is argued to be the best way to allocate resources, but you can literally starve to death surrounded by food. That is not a good allocation of resources.

“People might already be anarchists but not realise it.

“If you see an old lady on the street, you pick her up and help her. You don’t just walk past and expect somebody else to do it, or expect a reward for doing that. We are social creatures.”

One of the main criticisms he received for not voting is that if he did not vote, he could not complain.

“A non-vote is still a vote. I am still concerned with the country, the homeless, people struggling on low wages. I've got a right to complain about those things, whether I voted or not.”