Media Release
Port Nicholson Block Claims Team

E-voting to give quick count to historical treaty claims vote

Media Statement
26 July 2008
For immediate use

Modern technology will ensure a quick count of the ratification vote to settle historical treaty claims

The Port Nicholson Block Claims Team is using an E-voting system including internet voting for the first time to ratify a treaty settlement.

Claims Team Chair, Professor Ngatata Love, said that Christchurch based Electionz.com has been contracted to handle the entire voting process.

“The system we are using is effectively the same as what was used for the last local body election,” Professor Love said.

Approximately 7,500 ratification packs, including material detailing and explaining the proposed settlement and voting forms, have been posted out to eligible voters. Votes can be lodged three ways: Physically into a secure ballot box at consultation hui, by post or online via the internet.

“We chose Electionz.com because they could provide us with a ratification process that was independent, secure and transparent.

“It is also fast and provides us real time counting of the votes, regardless of whether the votes have been cast online or have been posted in, which means we will have a final result within two hours of the voting closing,” he said.

Since the ratification packs were posted out the PNBC claims team has also held a series of consultation hui around New Zealand and in Sydney and Brisbane.

Claims team Chair, Professor Ngatata Love, said several hundred people had attended the hui and asked some hard questions of the claims team.

“That was pleasing to see as it shows the people have been thinking about the settlement offer that we have put in front of them, but the most important thing now is that they vote,” he said.

Voting closes at midday this Friday (01 August 2008)

See also a screen shot of the internet voting site...
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0807/PNBC_Vote_site.pdf

Ends

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