Lorde is forced to delete Instagram post after accidentally breaking election law

Lorde has been forced to delete an Instagram post after he violated electoral law after backing a candidate in the run for Auckland mayor.

New Zealand’s biggest pop star, 25, meddled in the election late Tuesday, backing Labor candidate Efeso Collins for her 9.5 million Instagram followers.

“I am proud to vote Efeso Collins for Mayor of Auckland,” she wrote.

“Local government turnout is low as always – get out there – your community needs you.”

However, she posted a photo of a ballot paper with a number one next to Mr Collins’ name, which violates the rules of the Local Electoral Act to disturb or influence voters.

Shortly afterwards, the Aucklander deleted the message and replaced it with a video.

“Okay, so the Election Commission advised me against it because you can’t post anything about who you’re going to vote for or show your ballot papers,” she said.

New Zealand’s biggest pop star, 25, meddled in the election late Tuesday, backing Labor candidate Efeso Collins for her 9.5 million Instagram followers

‘Post still applies. Get out there’, with the words ‘vote vote vote vote’ posted in her Instagram story.

An election commission spokeswoman denied the organization had contacted the Auckland-raised singer, saying the election was overseen by the council and that Lorde “may have had an identity swap.”

The Auckland Council election officer, who is responsible for the vote, did not respond to the request for comment.

However, Lorde (pictured) posted a photo of a ballot paper with a number one next to Mr Collins’ name, which violates the Local Electoral Act’s rules about interfering with or influencing voters.

Local electoral law states that fines of up to $NZ5000 ($A4390) can apply to convictions.

Lorde isn’t the only celebrity Kiwi to back Mr Collins, with the likes of Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless and comedian Guy Williams backing the councillor.

The race to succeed Auckland’s outgoing Mayor Phil Goff is an open one and was already fraught with controversy before Lorde’s involvement.

One candidate, colorful tax collector Leo Molloy, withdrew after a failed campaign inviting voters to harass Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the director-general of public health over COVID-19 lockdowns.

“Cowboys don’t cry. I will continue with my other life as a hospo legend,” Mr Molloy said in his withdrawal statement.

Collins’ main rival for mayor is 76-year-old Wayne Brown, a former mayor of the Far North, who has also made his share of the eye-opening comments.

Mr Brown called a NZ Herald journalist ‘an asshole’ and said ‘The first thing I’ll do when I become mayor is put little pictures of him on all the urinals so we can pee on him’.

In a debate last month, he described Indian and Chinese migrants as “great people,” “simple” and “transactional.”

He was also asked by the election official to remove an endorsement post on the Chinese-language social media platform WeChat for breaking the same rule that Lorde did.

Collins, backed by Labor and the Greens, has been considered the favorite until recent weeks, but two recent polls put him narrowly behind Brown.

Lorde isn’t the only celebrity Kiwi to back Mr Collins, with the likes of Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless and comedian Guy Williams backing the councilor