Tauranga candidate Jason Jobsis questions his low voting tally

Jason Jobsis of Democrats for Social Credit is recorded as having only 30 votes, the lowest in the Tauranga electorate. Photo / Andrew Warner

Tauranga election candidate Jason Jobsis is questioning preliminary results which gave him just 30 electorate votes.

"In what I was watching on telly, I had about 379 votes when only about 0.8 per cent of the votes were counted," Mr Jobsis said.

"I was a little bit surprised when it said 30 the next day. I've actually put it to the Electoral Commission," he said.

Democrats for Social Credit last had members in Parliament in 1987.

Tauranga had more low-polling candidates than any other electorate - five candidates received fewer than 100 votes each.

Two other candidates, Hugh Robb and Yvette Lamare, received just 40 votes each according to preliminary results.

There were 11 candidates for the Tauranga seat - more than any other electorate in the country.

National's Simon Bridges won the seat by just over 10,000 votes. He has been the MP for Tauranga since 2008.

The lowest-polling electorate candidate in the country was Bob Wessex in Wellington Central, who received just 14 votes.

Bob Wessex was standing for Not a Party, a group which actively encourages people not to vote.

Simon Smythe, the Not a Party candidate for Rongotai, received only 25 votes.

Dunedin North independent candidate Stan Lusby received 29 votes.

Mr Jobsis said he would "definitely" run again, but would probably start his campaign earlier.

Tauranga independent candidate Yvette Lamare. Photo/File

Ms Lamare said she was unsure whether she would run again.

"I've decided to finally set up my charitable trust," she said.

"I've got a funny feeling this trust I'm going to open is going to be 10 times better than any politician."

Ms Lamare stood on a platform of preventing drug and alcohol addiction.

She said she was hoping for more votes this election, particularly with increased publicity.

"That's what happens when people just don't want National to get in or Labour to get in."

Ms Lamare first stood for election in 2011.

Mr Robb was also an independent, as was Rusty Kane, who got 59 votes.

Rusty Kane. Photo/File

Mr Kane said he was neither surprised nor disappointed by the results.

"I was lucky to get any [votes]. I only stood to get the message out."

Mr Kane's message was that MMP was not working, and needed to be replaced with a fairer system.

"It's not working for the people, it's working for the parties."

He was kicked out of both Labour and National's celebrations on election night, he said, although he ended up at New Zealand First's party which he was invited to.

Mr Kane said he did not actually want the job of local MP, nor would he have time to do it.

"I wouldn't know what to do if I got in."

Mr Robb said he was not surprised Simon Bridges won the seat, particularly with all the money the National Party had for advertising.

"I didn't spend one cent," he told the Bay of Plenty Times.

United Future's Ben Rickard also failed to reach 100 votes, receiving just 61.

NZ's lowest-polling candidates

Bob Wessex (Not a Party), Wellington Central 14
Anthony Van Den Heuvel (Human Rights Party), Mt Albert 23
Simon Smythe (Not a Party), Rongotai 25
Stan Lusby (independent), Dunedin North 29
Bishrul Izadeen (independent), Mt Roskill 29
Jason Jobsis (Democrats for Social Credit), Tauranga 30

Tauranga electorate

Simon Bridges (National) 19,111
Jan Tinetti (Labour) 8841
Clayton Mitchell (NZ First) 4406
Emma-Leigh Hodge (Greens) 1471
Joseph James Borell (Maori) 213
Stuart Pedersen (Act) 180
Ben Rickard (United Future) 61
Rusty Kane (Independent) 59
Hugh E Robb (Independent) 40
Yvette Lamare (Independent) 40
Jason Jobsis (Democrats for Social Credit) 30