Last chance for district electors

TIME is rapidly running out for electors wanting to vote in the 2010 Local Government Elections.

Voting closes at noon on Saturday and votes received after then – including returned papers in Monday’s mail – will not be counted.

Manawatu District Council Deputy Electoral Officer, Janine Hawthorn, said that anyone who has not yet posted their voting papers should return them by hand to the council’s office in Manchester Street, Feilding, to ensure they arrive on time.

“There’s no guarantee that votes posted in outlying rural areas on Friday will arrive in Saturday’s post, so the only way to ensure that your votes will count is to bring them to us in person.”

Mrs Hawthorn said the council office would be open from 8am to noon on Saturday. Special voting – available only at the council office – also closes at noon.

When voting papers were sent out to the district’s 20,762 registered electors last month, Mrs Hawthorn hoped the 46.75 percent overall return rate achieved at the last election in 2007 would be matched or exceeded. Up-to-date figures indicate that this may occur.

By Monday this week, 6559 (31.59 percent) of the papers had been returned – as against 29.55 percent for the comparable voting period in 2007 and 28.20 percent in 2004.

Mrs Hawthorn said the greatest interest centred on the Feilding ward, where 12 candidates are vying for five seats, with 3423 returns (34.25 percent) received in the first two weeks.

The Kairanga ward, with four nominations for the three seats, had returned 1794 completed papers (27.93 percent) by Monday, and Kiwitea-Pohangina ward, with five candidates seeking two seats, a total of 1342 replies (30.89 percent).

Progress results are expected to be posted on the council’s website at within a few hours of the poll closing, with official results due the following week.

Profiles for all candidates contesting elections in the Manawatu District were contained in the voting pack sent to electors and were also available on-line at www.mdc.govt.nz.