Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Accidental Whakatāne candidate: 'It is absolutely imperative people don't vote for me'

Katee Shanks
By Katee Shanks
Multimedia journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
27 Aug, 2019 10:03 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Whakatāne District Council candidate Kay Boreham hopes people won't vote for her. Photo / Supplied

Whakatāne District Council candidate Kay Boreham hopes people won't vote for her. Photo / Supplied

Whakatāne District Council candidate Kay Boreham is in the middle of a comedy of errors that would be funny if it wasn't so serious.

Boreham, a current Whakatāne-Ōhope Community Board member, is describing herself as an "accidental candidate" after downloading and completing the wrong form for local body elections.

"Despite the paperwork being receipted as a nomination for the Whakatāne-Ōhope Community Board, it progressed through to the Returning Officer as a ward candidacy," Boreham said.

The Electoral Officer has since confirmed there is no ability to change a nomination after 12 noon, August 16, or to withdraw a nomination.

"I completely own the original error. It was never my intention to stand for full council in this term and I will therefore be asking people not to put a tick against my name when they receive their voting papers," Boreham said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Aware that running a "don't vote for me" campaign could have the opposite effect as to what was intended, Boreham said she could not stress enough she did not want a role as a councillor.

"It is absolutely imperative people don't vote for me," Boreham said. "I am not doing this to raise my profile, I do not want to be elected."

With the approval of chairs, Boreham will be asking for a statement to be read at any candidate meetings asking people not to put a tick beside her name, and will also be using social media to get the "don't vote for me'"message out.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It is essential that people don't vote for me, as in the unlikely event I gained enough votes within the crowded field of 18 candidates for five positions, I wouldn't be able to take up the role as it's incompatible with my current employment."

She said the worst-case scenario would be to be elected because that would create the need for a by-election. "There's absolutely no way I want to put our community through that process and expense."

Boreham has apologised to the candidates standing in the Whakatāne-Ōhope ward saying she was mortified at her error.

"It would possibly be funny if the consequences weren't so dire.

Discover more

Apparent ram raids target Bay of Plenty stores

25 Aug 09:10 PM

Plans afoot to build 'huge' new boat harbour on Whakatāne River

26 Aug 11:01 PM

Opinion | Weird and wonderful Bay political slogans

17 Sep 02:44 PM

"People who read the booklet that accompanies the voting papers will see that my candidate profile seeks support for another term on the community board, and again, I apologise for any confusion that may cause.

"I'm naturally disappointed that I now don't have an opportunity to serve another term on the community board. My reason for seeking election in 2016 was to see boards used as a means for greater engagement between community and council and I've really enjoyed the supermarket aisle discussions and being part of the events and open days where we've taken the LTP and other consultations out to a wider demographic.

"I've also been heartened at the number of increasingly diverse initiatives that the board has supported through the careful allocation of its discretionary fund."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

11 Jul 03:29 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

'Serious injuries': Crash closes highway

11 Jul 05:30 AM

Emergency services are responding to a two-vehicle crash which has closed SH29.

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

Mixed verdicts delivered for Tribesmen accused of murdering one of their own

11 Jul 05:00 AM
'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

'Hardly surviving': Sales fall after dairy raid

11 Jul 03:29 AM
Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

11 Jul 03:01 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP