Voting for the council elections is open until midday Saturday. Photo / NZME
Voting for the council elections is open until midday Saturday. Photo / NZME
Voters have until midday tomorrow to have their say on who will lead their district and region.
There are 55 people running for 33 positions on the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
Eight people are vying for mayor and three to be the district’s first Waka Kai UruMāori ward councillor.
Western Bay residents will vote for a mayor, their ward councillors, and – except Matakana Island and Rangiwaea Island – their community board representatives.
Voters will also decide whether to keep the Māori ward for the 2028 and 2031 elections through a referendum.
Tauranga voters sit out the city council elections this year but have a say in who their Bay of Plenty Regional Council representatives will be.
Tauranga voters have 18 options to choose from to fill five vacancies, with four candidates for the two Western Bay seats and three for the Mauao Māori seat.
It’s too late to vote by mail, that deadline passed on Tuesday.
Residents who did not receive their voting papers, or have lost or damaged them, can still cast a special vote. This also applies to voters who enrolled after August 1.
Enrolled Western Bay residents can cast a special vote at Western Bay council library and service centres.
Special voting is open until 5pm Friday and from 9am until voting closes at noon on Saturday.
In Tauranga, special votes for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Tauranga General and Mauao Māori constituencies can be cast at the regional council offices until 5pm Friday and Saturday 8am-noon.
Today is the last chance to enrol to vote if you are aged 18 years and older, are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident and live or own property in the electorate.
This can be done on the vote.nz website, or call 0800 3676 56 for help.
