Hawke's Bay's last chance to vote in 2022 Local Elections

The Wairoa District's local elections have been stirred by a competitive campaign by five seeking the mayoralty and 13 vying for the six places on the council. Photo / NZME

Voting returns for the local body elections remained off the pace in Hawke's Bay today as the countdown started towards the end of the triennial poll at midday on Saturday.

In a postal vote that has now become the equivalent of a polling day, papers have to be delivered to a limited number of polling bins by midday on Saturday if they are to be counted.

According to online voter return statistics, only the Wairoa District looked like coming close to matching previous years, albeit stirred by a competitive campaign by five seeking the mayoralty and 13 vying for the six places on the Council.

By Thursday night there had been a 35.1 per cent turnout, compared to 35.4 per cent at the equivalent stage in 2019, when the final turnout in the district topped 52 per cent.

In Napier it was 33.04 per cent, compared with 42.9 per cent at the same stage three years ago and a final turnout of just over 50 per cent, and in the Hastings District the turnout was 25.82 per cent, well short of the 36.63 per cent with two days to go in 2019 and the final turnout of 43.63 per cent.

In Central Hawke's Bay 38.87 per cent of those who have someone to vote had their papers in, compared with 44.51 per cent by Thursday night in the 2019 race, and a final turnout close to 55 per cent.

In Tararua there had been a 40.37 per cent return, still shy of the 43.07 per cent progress three years ago and the final turnout of 51.44 per cent.

Of the four new Māori wards in the wider region, there had been a 25.84 per cent return in Tararua, and a 13.92 per cent return in the Hastings, but no figures were available from the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.

There had by Thursday night been a 28.6 per cent return, but this had climbed further by Friday afternoon, by which time the percentage of returns overall in the district had crept ahead of the 2019 equivalent.

Anyone aged 18 or over on or by election day is eligible to vote, so long as they were enrolled by Friday night, which could be done online and checking details on council websites.

Concerned with the low turnout, the Napier City Council has turned its Customer Service Centre into a drive-through using the street parking places outside in Hastings St.

There was some concern that some electors have not received papers, and they too have been urged to get to the polls, and use special vote facilities if necessary.

The Electoral Commission confirmed to Hawke's Bay Today that people could enrol either on the General roll or the Māori roll, but in areas such as Napier, which has no Māori city council ward but does have a regional council Māori constituency, they would be able to vote in both.

It pointed out local councils run the elections and prepare voting papers.

The elections have attracted 131 candidates for mayors, city, district or regional councillors, and local community boards from Wairoa to the southern ward of Tararua district, but over 17,000 had no one to vote for because there were just enough nominations to fill the vacancies.

Progress results are expected to be available by early afternoon.