Waipā slow to vote

Local body election voter bins are located at supermarkets and council offices to make voting easier. Photo / Kate Dutrie

As of yesterday afternoon a mere 3932 people had voted in Waipā District Council elections.

The low turnout is despite the mayor and councillors, alongside community boards, making critical multimillion-dollar decisions that will determine the future of the Waipā district for decades to come.

With just one week to go, far fewer votes have been returned than at the same stage in previous elections - only 9.93 per cent of eligible voters had cast a ballot compared to 17.4 per cent on the same day in 2019.

Waipā District Council governance manager Jo Gread said the low level of voter return was deeply worrying, given how much is at stake. Waipā's daily voter returns were lagging behind other nearby councils including South Waikato and Waitomo.

"The people sitting around the council table make decisions which impact our lives every single day. It is our councillors who decide on everything from parks, to roads, to water services and so much more. community board members represent the views and priorities of people in their communities," she said.

"You cannot live in our district without those decisions impacting on you in some way. I'm astounded people don't want to have a say on who makes those decisions on their behalf."

Jo urged anyone who had not yet voted to do so as soon as possible.

"If you've still got your voting papers sitting at home, fill them out and get them to a council office, the Te Awamutu library or a supermarket near you.

"You've got until 12pm, Saturday 8 October but you cannot miss that deadline – there are no extensions given for late-comers."

She said council had placed orange ballot boxes in supermarkets including Countdown Cambridge and Te Awamutu, Fresh Choice Leamington and Te Awamutu, New World Cambridge and Pak'nSave Te Awamutu to make it easier to vote.

Council offices in Te Awamutu and Cambridge will also be open tomorrow from 9am-noon to give people the opportunity to vote and complete special votes if needed.

Jo said Tuesday, October 4 is the last day people should post their votes.

"After next Tuesday people should drop off their vote to a council office or in the ballot box at the Te Awamutu library or at a supermarket. Otherwise it won't reach us in time."

If residents haven't received their voting papers they should go into a council office to arrange a special vote.

"Special votes can no longer be posted out," she said.

Those contesting the Waipā mayoralty, councillor and community board seats can be found at www.waipadc.govt.nz/elections, along with their profile statements and contact details.