Robyn Sinclair remains the Thames Ward’s third Councillor after a vote recount requested by fourth-placed candidate Alison Choppin did not overturn the final result.

The recount sees Ms Sinclair with 1648 votes to 1643 for Ms Choppin.

After the final count, Ms Sinclair had been two votes ahead of Ms Choppin, who then requested a recount.

The final voting figures for all candidates are available on our Council website at tcdc.govt.nz/finalresults.

Most of our Council’s 29 elected members – the Mayor, eight Councillors and 20 Community Board Members – will be sworn in at tomorrow’s inaugural Council meeting at 2pm at the Thames War Memorial Civic Centre. Those who can't attend will be sworn in at the next Council or Community Board meeting.

At tomorrow's meeting the Council will also adopt the Annual Report for the 2018/19 financial year. While our Annual and Long Term Plans state what our Council intends to do, the Annual Report closes the loop by conveying whether the Council did what it said it would do within a specific financial year.

The meeting’s agenda is available on our website at tcdc.govt.nz/agendas.

Voter turnout up in our district

A total of 13,099 people voted in our district out of 23,967 who were enrolled to vote in this year’s local elections – a turnout of 54.65 per cent.

That’s the highest turnout since the 2010 elections when 61.2 per cent voted. The turnout in 2013 was 48.2 per cent and in 2016 it was 53.08 per cent.

The average turnout across the country has continued to decline with turnout at about 45 per cent. In 2016 and 2013 the average turnout was 47 per cent.

In neighbouring Hauraki District the turnout this election was 48.77 per cent, in Hamilton 38.78 per cent voted – the highest figure there since 2004 - and in Auckland 35.26 per cent of electors voted.

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