Stratford voters encouraged to have their say early in local elections

With voting papers being delivered from last Friday, Stratford District Council chief executive Sven Hanne is urging Stratford district voters to have their say and vote before October 12.

"We encourage people to vote as soon as possible after receiving voting papers in the post. Often people put them aside to do at a later date but forget and miss out on the chance to have a say.

"Don't make that mistake, sit down and fill them in as soon as you can, then post them back."

Stratford district voters can expect to receive their 2019 local government voting papers by the end of this week.

People who have not received their papers by then should contact Dale Ofsoske, the electoral officer on 0800 922 822 or dale.ofsoske@electionservices.co.nz

Voting papers must be posted or hand delivered in time to reach Stratford District Council's electoral officer by noon on Saturday, October 12.

The voting papers for Stratford District Council will use the First Past the Post (FPP) voting systems. For the FPP system voters are required to put a tick alongside the candidate(s) they wish to vote for.

Voting packs will also contain the Taranaki District Health Board papers which will use the STV voting system to elect its members.

Voting papers will contain clear instructions on how to vote.

"People should read their papers carefully before casting their vote to ensure they are using the right voting method," says Electoral Officer, Dale Ofsoske.

Sven says he hopes to see a decent turnout in voter numbers this year in the district.

"In 2016 Stratford district recorded a 45.58 per cent turnout of voters. I really want to see this increase for 2019.
"It is your democratic right to take part in electing members who best reflect the values and local priorities of the community you live in, so have your say and make it count with
a vote."