Council hopeful: If you're 18, you can vote

New Napier City Council candidate Sally Crown, seeking election in Nelson Park Ward. Photo / Supplied

New Napier City Council candidate Sally Crown is making an early campaign push to make sure people are on the electoral roll and do vote.

One of six people contesting the four seats in the traditionally lower-polling Nelson Park Ward, she points out anyone aged 18 or over on October 12 is entitled to vote in this year's Local Elections, and they should treat it as one of the more important rights they ever have.

They must first be on the electoral rolls, with correct name and address. It can be done on-line, by phone at 0800 36 76 56 or getting an enrolment form at any PostShop agency. Voting papers will be sent-out from September 20.

Crown says she comes from a family that was "quite politically motivated" and learnt early growing up in Te Kuiti: "If you're going to have an opinion on anything you need to have something to back it up — So Vote!"

She says getting on to an electoral roll is an important part of a young person's life growing up, and she can remember getting on her bike and cycling with a young niece and nephew to the town's courthouse to cast her vote in a General Election (electing Members of Parliament).

Her nephew, now aged about 17, has told her of remembering the day and how it has made him aware of the significance of taking part. "It's made it normal for him, and he's aware that next year he'll be able to vote for the first time," she said.

Crown, from a public relations background, moved to Hawke's Bay six years ago, soon finding herself extending into community positions which now include the chair of sole iwi-mandated Napier social services provider Roopu a Iwi, editing near 20-year-old Maraenui and districts community newspaper He Ngakau Hou, and communications roles with Treaty of Waitangi claim post-settlement entity Maungaharuru-Tangitu Trust and the Pacific Rugby Players Association.

She highlights that in the 2016 Local Elections Nelson Park, which includes Napier South, Onekawa South, Maraenui, and parts of Pirimai, Marewa and the northern most part of Awatoto, attracted votes from just over a third of those on the electoral roll — the lowest voter-return of the four electoral wards in Napier.

She says it's a "wasted opportunity" not to vote, and saying council decisions impact on everyone, every day.