Councillors keep seats after special votes counted

Two new Auckland City councillors have kept their seats after the counting of special votes yesterday confirmed their razor-slim majorities from the provisional figures at Saturday's local body elections.

The final count gave Denise Roche a 12-vote majority over independent councillor Faye Storer for the Hauraki Gulf and Mark Donnelly edged out Green councillor Neil Abel by 13 votes in Eden-Albert.

The final voter turnout in Auckland City was 39.4 per cent, well down on the 48.4 per cent figure in 2004.