Polling booth to hit the road

Dunedin (Thursday, 22 September 2016) A polling booth is hitting the road to encourage people to vote in Dunedin this election.

The floating special polling booth will move around six locations to enable people to cast special votes in this year’s election. This is in addition to the special voting facilities available at the Civic Centre until voting closes. People can also drop off voting papers to a ballot box in the book buses and at Customer Service Centres.

The Electoral Officer for the Dunedin City Council and the Otago Regional Council, Pam Jordan, says although elections are held by postal vote it’s important to offer a way to vote to people who didn’t receive papers.

“There are people who may not be enrolled properly who would otherwise miss the opportunity to have their say, for example someone who didn’t get voting papers may have moved house and not updated their address.”

From 27 September, the polling booth will visit Blueskin Bay, Waikouaiti, Otago University, South Dunedin, Port Chalmers and Mosgiel.

Special votes are available for anyone: on the unpublished roll, whose name is not on the printed roll for this election or who has been wrongly deleted from the roll, whose address is out of date, who enrolled as an elector after the printed roll closed, who spoilt, lost or didn’t receive voting documents, or in circumstances where it is not possible or practicable to cast an ordinary vote without hardship or undue inconvenience.

Voting papers need to be in the post by Wednesday, 5 October to ensure they arrive on time. They can be dropped off to service centres and at special voting facilities until 7 October and at the Civic Centre until the morning of 8 October.

Election information is available at www.dunedin.govt.nz/elections.

Locations

Tuesday, 27 September – Blueskin Bay Library. 2pm – 6pm.

Wednesday, 28 September – East Otago Events Centre, Waikouaiti. 10am – 5.30pm.

Thursday, 29 September – University Link. 10am – 4pm.

Friday, 30 September - Port Chalmers Library. 9.30am – 5.30pm.

Tuesday and Wednesday, 4-5 October – Mosgiel Library. 9.30am – 5.30pm.

Thursday and Friday 6-7 October – Grey Power Offices, 211a King Edward Street, South Dunedin. 9am – 5pm.

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