Hawke’s Bay voting venues open to the last minute, ready for high noon on Saturday

An election referendum rally supporting the retention of Māori wards was held in Napier on Thursday morning. Photo / Doug Laing

More than 50 venues throughout Hawke’s Bay and the Tararua district will be accepting local election voting papers right up to the triennial vote’s noon deadline on Saturday.

The venues, with orange bins for the voting papers, have been confirmed by the Napier City Council and the Wairoa, Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay District Councils as the number of papers returned climbs towards some of the highest in years.

But only a small number – mainly council offices – will be accepting special votes, generally those not on the printed roll, including those who’ve recently turned 18 or are otherwise first-time voters.

The need to vote is highlighted by retiring Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, who says it’s everyone’s democratic right and their chance to help shape the communities they live in.

The voting turnout in the district in 2022 was a low 32.95%, primarily because several positions, including her mayoralty, were uncontested.

But with a return of 30.25% by Wednesday, Hazlehurst said the trend was “on a par” with 2019, when the turnout in the district totalled 43.63% of the roll.

In Napier, where Mayor Kirsten Wise was first elected to the role in 2019, the vote this year by Wednesday totalled 33.09%.

A Thursday-morning hikoi from the Sound Shell on Marine Parade to the city council service centre in Hastings St supported the retention of a Māori ward on the city council.

But, with turnouts of 39.55% in 2022 and 50.04% in 2019 as targets, there was a strong narrative urging people to “just vote,” and, according to organiser Neill Gordon, “enrol if you’re not already on the roll”.

Voting venues (closing on Saturday at noon), voting only on Saturday (no new enrolments after Friday):

Wairoa

Wairoa District Council main office (special voting), New World Wairoa.

Napier

Napier City Council Customer Services (the only site offering special voting on Saturday), Taradale Library, Napier Aquatic Centre, Woolworths on Carlyle, Woolworths Napier, Pak’nSave Napier, Pak’nSave Tamatea, New World Onekawa, New World Greenmeadows, Taradale 4 Square, Pirimai Supermarket, The Warehouse, Mitre 10 Mega, Kmart, EIT Taradale Campus, Beattie and Forbes Ahuriri, NZ Post Mārewa.

Hastings

Hastings District Council (special voting included), Hastings War Memorial Library, Hastings Mitre 10, Hastings Woolworths, Kmart Plaza, The Warehouse Hastings, Hastings Sports Centre, Havelock North Library, Havelock North New World, Flaxmere Library, Flaxmere Supermarket, Camberley Community Centre, Clive BP, Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga, Four Square Cape View Haumoana, and Fire Station Bakery Whakatū.

Central Hawke’s Bay

Central Hawke’s Bay: Four Square Waipawa, New World Waipukurau, Countdown Waipukurau, Takapau Four Square, Ōtāne General Store, Pōrangahau Country Club, Ongaonga General Store, Tikokino Sawyer’s Arms, CHBDC Office, Waipawa plus special voting, Waipawa Library and Te Huinga Wai – The knowledge and learning hub, Waipukurau Library.

Tararua

Scandi Superette Norsewood, Tararua District Council Dannevirke Service Centre, Pongaroa Cafe and General Store, Woodville Service Centre and Library, Pahīatua Service Centre, Eketāhuna Service Centre and Library.