Slow start to polling

With only 10 days to go before the poll closes for the 2007 local elections, only 24.7% of eligible electors have cast their votes in the Far North.


A total of 36,304 sets of ballot papers were sent out last month and as of today (03 October) only 8959 papers had been returned.


The highest level of activity has been in Doubtless Bay subdivision of the Northern Ward where 31% of electors have returned their voting papers. The lowest level of returns has been in the Bay of Islands subdivision in the Eastern Ward where only 20.8% have voted so far.


Voting papers must be returned by midday on October 13 to be counted.


At the same time in the 2004 elections 24.8% of eligible electors had returned their voting papers. When the polls closed 45% of electors had voted.


A breakdown of the numbers to vote so far is as follows:-

                             Electors                           Returns

Northern Ward: 11,894                         3317 (27.9%)

Eastern Ward: 16,894                           3866 (22.9%)

Western Ward: 7516                             1776 (23.6%)

Overall:             36,304                            8959 (24.7%)