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South Wairarapa Voters Top Turnout
Martinborough is leading the charge in voter turnout for Wairarapa, with 29% of eligible voters having cast their vote.
Less than two weeks remain before voting closes for the 2025 local body elections at noon on October 11.
South Wairarapa district has the highest overall turnout of Wairarapa councils at about 24% as at September 29.
This equated to almost 2300 votes cast of about 9300. The Greytown and Featherston ward turnout was 23% and 21% respectively, and the South Wairarapa Māori ward turnout was 18%.
Total returns for the South Wairarapa district in 2022 was 54% at close of voting.
Orange voting boxes were spread throughout the district and were available at each town library and supermarket.
The current turnout for neighbouring Carterton district was just over 8%, with about 650 votes cast of a total 7700.
Total Carterton returns in 2022 was 59%.
Carterton council chief executive Geoff Hamilton said the returned voting paper numbers were slightly ahead of this time last election and would steadily build as election day approached.
“Historically, Carterton has always had a high voter turnout and with such an engaged and passionate community, this year will be no different,” he said.
“I encourage everyone to get out and cast their vote, either via post before Tuesday, October 7, or using one of the five orange voting bins throughout town.”
These were located at Carterton’s council office on Holloway St, the Wairarapa Events Centre, the G.A.S. and Challenge stations on High St, and at Carterton New World.
“Today saw the first collection from theses ballot boxes go to Electionz, and we expect daily returns to increase in the coming days,” Hamilton said.
In Masterton, the current turnout across the district was about 13%, with about 2700 votes cast of a total 20,100.
The turnout in Masterton’s Māori ward was 11%. In the 2022 elections, Masterton’s overall turnout was just under 47%.
In Masterton, a mobile ballot bin would visit Tīnui, Castlepoint, and Riversdale on Saturday, October 4, as part of a push to maximise voting in the local body election.
An increased number of ballot bins was also supporting the turnout and could be found at these can be found at nine locations in Masterton.
These were Waiata House, the council’s Queen St office, library, New World, Woolworths, Mitre 10 Mega, The Warehouse, Solway Supermarket, and Trust House Recreation Centre.
Anyone who had not received their voting papers, or hadn’t enrolled, could still make their voice heard using the special voting process.
Special voting took about 15 minutes and could be done at any time between 9am and 4pm at Waiata House.
Late-night special voting would be offered at Waiata House on Tuesday, October 7, and Thursday, October 9, from 4pm - 7pm, for those who can’t vote during business hours.
Voters don’t need to bring ID with them, but they would be required to make a declaration confirming that the information they have provided is correct.
Total voter turnout in the nearby Tararua district was currently almost 20%.
-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
Local Democracy Reporting
Content from the Local Democracy Reporting (LDR) service is published by Scoop as a registered New Zealand Media Outlet LDR Partner.
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