Hard to vote for locals if information wrong
Three more South Taranaki candidates in the local body elections have explained why they think they would be good representatives. Voting is now open and it is important people know who they are voting for.
Meanwhile, two neighbours from Midhirst were surprised to find they had both been sent voting information from the Kaipara District Council - 500km away to the north.
Michelle Kennard and her neighbour Kevin Greer were both sent a booklet that was supposed to contain information on the candidates running for the Stratford District Council, Taranaki Regional Council, Taranaki District Health Board and the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council.
However, while the book had the Taranaki cover on the outside, the inside contained information for the Kaipara District Council, Northland District Health Board and the Northland Regional Council candidates.
‘‘When I opened it I was like ‘where’s Kaipara and where’s Dargaville?’’’ Kennard said.
She then checked her husband’s book, which contained the correct information.
Kennard said while she already knew who she would vote for in the council election, she thought it was important to know who to vote for on the health board.
‘‘Otherwise I wouldn’t have voted,’’ she said.
‘‘I probably would have just voted for the council and left the health board.’’
Voting was important as it meant people would be able to have their say on problems later on, she said.
‘‘As far as I’m concerned if you want to complain and have your voice in other matters, then you have to vote as well.’’
Greer said he thought it was a one off until he talked to Kennard on Tuesday afternoon.
‘‘I got the same voting booklet as Michelle got. We can vote for the mayor of Kaipara or vote for the Northland health department,’’ he said.
‘‘They’re going to send me another booklet with the Taranaki information in it.’’
Greer and Kennard both received the correct voting forms with the right candidates listed along with the booklets.
The electoral officer for the Stratford and Kaipara Districts, Dale Ofsoske, said he had been in touch with the printing company as soon as he heard about the mix up.
He said he had been told the mixed up booklets were made when the machine was being switched from printing the Stratford booklets to the Kaipara booklets.
‘‘They said that there are a maximum of two,’’ he said. ’’In all elections it’s important we have the right information going to the right people.’’