With a week to go until the polls close, only 878 voting packs have been returned – although 15,022 voters are registered on the Māori roll.
Deputy electoral officer Amy Viggersput out an urgent call for more votes.
“It’s now too late to put your vote in the mail to ensure it will arrive in time to be counted,” Viggers said.
“However, it’s easy to drop your vote in any of the ballot boxes across the city... It doesn’t matter if you haven’t received your voting pack, or if it has been lost or damaged.”
There are eight candidates standing for the seat. They are Jarrad Gallagher, Horiana Henderson, Maria Te Aukaha Huata, Riki Manarangi, Danielle Marks, Donna Pokere-Phillips, Marian Ruri and Olly Te Ua.
To vote, rank the candidates in order of preference and return the voting paper.
In a council statement, Huaki said it had been a privilege to represent the city as one of the first Māori ward councillors, but she needed to prioritise her health.
