Door opens for voters affected by lazy postie

Louise Wiki Pokai says she was mystified when her voting papers failed to arrive in her mailbox. Photo / Natalie Slade

Mangere residents who did not receive voting forms can now exercise their right at a booth that has been set up at the library.

A postie left about 400 Mangere residents without voting papers last month when he chose dumping over delivery.

New Zealand Post chief executive Peter Fenton said the postie had been alarmed by the amount to be delivered, and put the voting packs out in rubbish bags for collection. He has since been sacked.

Replacement voting forms were sent to those that did not get them, but not everyone is expected to receive them in time to post them back before Saturday's deadline.

So Mangere Labour MP Su'a William Sio and Auckland Electoral Officer Dale Ofsoske arranged yesterday to have a voting booth opened at Mangere East Public Library on Massey Road. Residents can cast votes there until noon on Saturday.

Mr Sio said he was deeply troubled as to why there were varying reports on the number of people affected.

"Initially I was informed that the numbers were minimal but reports into my office suggest ... several hundred voters may end up not being able to cast their vote."

Mangere resident Louise Wiki Pokai, 83, said she was mystified when she didn't receive her papers.

"I've voted all my life. I thought there must have been a new ruling."

She described the postie's actions as "dumb".

She received her new voting forms yesterday and planned to vote.

The chairman of the Auckland Samoan Catholic Community, Tanuvasa Tofaeono, has lived in his Mangere home for more than 20 years.

"The six of us were a bit worried. We thought we might have missed it. My grand-daughter rang, and then new voting papers arrived last week."

He had been encouraging others in his community to vote.

"It's very important for us."