Aucklanders like the idea of making voting mandatory but don't seem motivated to actually cast a vote.

Auckland Council's done a survey of 2,000 people and has found 52 percent of Aucklanders support compulsory voting.

74 percent of people intend to vote but just 38 percent did so in 2016.

Otago University professor Andrew Geddis told Tim Dower it seems to be a bit of a contradiction.

"Obviously, people who think voting is important, people ought to vote, it matters, but when they actually get the voting papers, don't get around to doing it it themselves."

He says that we should look into mandatory voting, which countries like Australia have implemented.

That sees people receive a fine if they do not vote. Geddis says it has the effect of turning voting into something people just do.

"So there's not all that many people who realise that they could, they just choose not to. It becomes a bit of a habit."

He says that if people look at the options and think there's nothing there for them, there is still an option for them.

"The only argument for compulsory voting would actually be to get people to think about voting, and if they don't want to, they can always spoil the ballot."