Ballot boxes set up for area

Voting in Waipa¯ is about to become a little easier with the addition of several ballot boxes in Cambridge and Te Awamutu town centres for the last week of local government elections.

Voting ballot boxes will be at the following locations and dates:

Pak’nSave Te Awamutu, 9am-noon, Saturday, October 12;

Farmers Market, Victoria Square, Cambridge, 9am-noon, Saturday, October 12;

Waipa¯ District Council offices Te Awamutu and Cambridge, open ordinary office hours and 9am-noon, Saturday, October 12;

Te Awamutu Library, voting slot next to afterhours returns and can be used anytime up until noon, Saturday, October 12.

All votes must be in a ballot box by 12pm, Saturday, October 12 to count.

Waipa¯ District Council governance manager Jo Gread urged any residents who had not yet voted to do so as soon as possible.

“If you’ve still got your voting papers sitting at home, fill them out and get them to a council office or library near you,” says Jo.

“This is your only opportunity to choose someone who will represent your town, your views at council for the next three years. Make sure you vote in time to count.”

Council elections are held every three years, with voting returns for the district averaging 19.64 per cent as of October 4. The same day in 2016 had 22.28 per cent of votes returned.

“If you haven’t received voting papers at all, you need to get to council so we can arrange a special vote,” says Jo.

“You haven’t missed out.”

Council has also developed an election tool on waipadc.govt.nz/elections to assist voters with knowing who is running in their local area.

The list will also include members who have been elected unopposed and the location of the nearest post office boxes.

Voters can also head to www.policylocal.nz to read candidate views on a range of topics such as climate change, environment, housing and more.

■ For more information about elections, including what to do if your voting papers have been damaged, head to waipadc.govt.nz/elections