Voting under way with 40,000 cast

Almost 40,000 votes have been been cast in the Hawke's Bay local government amalgamation poll, according to latest figures from election managers Electionz.com.

Statistics released soon after 4pm showed 39,882 votes had been received, representing 35.93 per cent of the roll of 110,905.

With nine days left until the poll closes at noon on September 15, the number who vote is expected to surpass the 52,096 who voted in the Central Hawke's Bay, Wairoa, Hastings or Napier districts in the 2013 local body elections.

In Napier, 17,620 had voted, less than 3000 short of the 2013 poll of 20,522, but in the Hastings District, which includes Hastings, Havelock North, Clive and Haumoana and areas west and north of Napier, 16,180 had voted, almost 7000 short of the 2013 election vote for the district.

Fewer than 2000 votes were received yesterday, the smallest daily total since the first significant mail receipt on August 28, three days after the first papers were delivered to voters.

The number was less than half the number received on Thursday, suggesting voting had slowed down, but trends are similar to the comparable stage of the 2013 elections, when about half of all votes were received in the last of the poll's three weeks.

The trend is consistent with the expectations of chief returning officer Warwick Lampp who said on Thursday about 60 per cent of those on the roll were expected to vote.

Voters have been warned that postal votes should be sent by next Thursday to guarantee being included in the count. Voting will be able to be done at the offices of the councils up to the time the vote closes.

Meanwhile, 963 papers have been returned as unable to be delivered because of a lack of forwarding addresses. People aged 18 and over and resident in the area or being absentee ratepayers are eligible to vote, and those who have not received voting papers should call 0800 666033.

The vote is to establish whether Hawke's Bay people are "for" or "against" a proposal to merge the Napier City Council, the Hastings, Central Hawke's Bay and Wairoa district councils and the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

If a majority (over 50 per cent) are for the proposal, a new Hawke's Bay Council will be formed next year. If a majority vote against, the proposal will lapse.