Last chance to get your vote in

Post your voting papers today to make sure there is enough time for them to be delivered by the close of voting at noon on Saturday 8 October. Votes received after that won't be counted.

You can still drop your ballot papers off at our Council offices in Thames, Coromandel Town, Whitianga and Whangamata until noon on Saturday if you can't get to the post box today.

Check out the candidates on our website www.tcdc.govt.nz/nominations2016 and decide who you want to represent you as mayor, councillors and community board members. Elections are also being held for Waikato Regional Council and Waikato District Health Board.

Ballot papers were posted in mid-September to all registered electors. If you think you're eligible to vote but haven't received voting papers, it's not too late to register to vote.

Residents of the Coromandel can check the Electoral Commission website www.elections.org.nz to see if you're a registered voter. Then, contact our Electoral Office on 0800 922 822 to find about making a special vote.

If you own a property on the Coromandel but normally live elsewhere, you can probably vote here as well as your home city or district. Call our Electoral Office on 0800 922 822 for more information.

Voter turnout

The turnout to date is slightly lower than in 2010, when 61.2% of electors voted. In 2013, the final turnout was 48.2%. So far, turnout is 37.7% - 8,625 people - with a few days left to vote.

Go to our election web page for the voting breakdown by community board areawww.tcdc.govt.nz/elections

We'll be announcing the preliminary result as soon as we can after voting closes, with the official declaration a few days later once the count is confirmed.

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