Tens of thousands of voting packs for this year’s Northland local body elections will begin turning up in mailboxes around the region from today. (subs: Friday 16 Sept.)

Regional council Electoral Officer Dale Ofsoske says more than 130,000 postal voting packs for the Saturday 08 October elections are due to be distributed to registered electors between Friday 16 and Wednesday 21 September.

These must be returned in the freepost envelope provided or dropped into one of the ballot boxes located throughout Northland so Mr Ofsoske receives them by noon on election day.

With that in mind, he says anyone who has not received their packs after Wednesday 21 September’s mail should contact their local district council office and request a special vote or call Election Services direct on (0800) 922 822. Tuesday 04 October is the last day votes should be posted to ensure they’re delivered in time.

Mr Ofsoske says one regional council seat - Coastal South - has already been filled with incumbent Rick Stolwerk re-elected unopposed. That leaves 23 people contesting the remaining eight seats on council; six general seats from six general constituencies and two Māori seats within the Te Raki Māori constituency.

Information about the elections generally is available from the council’s website via www.nrc.govt.nz/elections2022

© Scoop Media