Local Election Candidates Step Forward

A total of 470 candidates have stepped forward to contest Auckland Council seats at the 2013 local body elections.

The nomination process closed today Friday at noon and the breakdown of candidates is:

-       Mayor (17 candidates)
-       Councillors (60 candidates for 20 Governing Body seats)
-       Local Boards (393 candidates for 149 seats, across 21 local boards).

Postal voting takes place from 20 September to 12 October and Aucklanders will be able to view full candidate profiles and find other important election information at www.voteauckland.co.nz from Saturday 7 September.

“This is an exciting time for Auckland as we enter council’s second term and it’s good to see strong representation across the region from people who want to make a difference in their communities,” says Electoral Officer Bruce Thomas.

“There was the usual last-minute dash from some candidates to get nominations in, and overall I am pleased with the numbers we have received.

“The final figure is lower than in 2010, but that was the first election after the amalgamation of the eight legacy councils and interest at that time was particularly strong.”

At the 2010 election – the first for the new Auckland Council after amalgamation of the eight legacy councils – there were 23 nominations for Mayor, 102 for councillor positions and 420 for local board spots.

ENDS

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