Pair's effort proves no voter is an island

A couple living on Stephens Island in the Marlborough Sounds have gone to extreme lengths to make sure their votes count on election day.

Clare Allen and Jon de Vries voted on September 3 after weeks of organisation.

Of the 450 people casting a special vote in the Kaikoura electorate this year, they are arguably the most isolated, at their home north of d'Urville Island, a three-hour boat trip from Havelock.

They are the island's only residents, besides thousands of tuatara and seabirds.

Contact with the outside world is usually only once every six weeks, when the Department of Conservation delivers mail and groceries.

The 2 1/2-week period in which they could vote fell outside the delivery pattern.

After exhausting local contacts, they found the Nelson-based Seabird Charter company which had a tour passing by the island.

But the chance was nearly lost with unfavourable winds.

"We monitored the marine radio all morning and at 11.30am, just when the wind dropped, we got the call from the vessel," said Clare Allen.

"We luckily grabbed a felt pen and ran down 15 minutes to the landing rock.

"The waves were too big for the vessel to get closer than 20m, so the skipper put our voting envelopes in a plastic bag with a heavy sinker, tied a rope to the bag and threw the bag to land on the rocks."

With a boat full of fishermen as unofficial witnesses, the couple filled in their two ticks, made a declaration and each signed for the other.

"We put the papers back in the plastic bag and threw it into the sea, the skipper then pulled the rope in, got the plastic bag on board and sped off away from the rocks."

"I hope we filled in everything required to make it valid."

Advance voting is available for people who may have difficulty getting to an election booth on Saturday.

In 2002, more than 130,000 people voted in advance, accounting for 6 per cent of votes cast in the general election.

- NZPA