Local election candidates in Hawke's Bay appear to have been slow out of the blocks with only a small number of nominations confirmed by the end of the first week late yesterday.
According to online information, the busiest electoral officers had been those in Napier where six nominations had been declared by yesterday morning, including that of Bill Dalton for a second term as mayor and deputy Faye White going for a sixth term on the council since first being elected in 2001.
She was the only name listed in the race for at-large (non-ward) seats on the 12-member council, other nominations having been for councillors Maxine Boag in the Nelson Park ward, Annette Brosnan (Onekawa-Tamatea) and Graeme Taylor (Taradale), and new election aspirant Api Tapine, who is standing with Ms Boag in Nelson Park under a Working Together banner.
The Napier candidates are listed by Electionz.com, which late yesterday had no candidates listed in Central Hawke's Bay, the only other election it is managing in Hawke's Bay local elections this year.
The Hastings District Council had no nominations listed, although staff said a "couple" had been received but were still to be processed.