Greater Wellington regional voters encouraged to have their say

With less than four days to go until the local government elections, Greater Wellington Regional Council’s Electoral Officer Margaret Meek is keen to see as many voters as possible vote.

“Voting closes at midday this Saturday, 9 October. Figures received from Electoral Officers across the region show that responses up to 1 October for all of the region’s cities and districts range from about 18% to about 33%,” Margaret Meek says.

“I’d like to encourage all eligible voters who haven’t already done so to take a few minutes and complete and post their postal voting papers. If people have put these papers behind the clock on their mantelpiece intending to complete them later, then I urge them to complete and post them off before they’re too late to count.”

As at 1 October, the following numbers of voting papers had been received by the region’s electoral officers. The voting papers also include ballots for the Greater Wellington Regional Council, Health Boards, Community Boards and Trusts.

Local territorial authority Ballot papers received
Masterton District Council 27.12%
Carterton District Council 33.01%
South Wairarapa District Council 31.74%
Kapiti Coast District Council 27.58%
Porirua City Council 18.51%
Upper Hutt City Council 23.35%
Hutt City Council 21.48%
Wellington City Council 18.35%

Margaret Meek said that 43% of ballot papers were returned for the 2007 local government elections across the Greater Wellington Region.

“Local government and local democracy are important. I hope as many people as possible take time to get their papers returned before this Saturday’s midday deadline,” she said.

Greater Wellington Regional Council election results can be found on the Greater Wellington Regional Council web site www.gw.govt.nz/elections and also at www.elections2010.co.nz.