Dunedin’s bright orange special voting bins are still available at public libraries, council service centres, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, as well as at participating stores.
The orange bins will be collected from noon on Friday, October 7. Voting closes at noon on Saturday, October 8 , so votes must be deposited before then.
Orange bins will remain at the Civic Centre until Election Day, October 8.
Dunedin City Council deputy electoral officer Clare Sullivan said people planning to return their votes by post needed to have them in the post by Tuesday, October 4.
The council is tracking the flow of returning votes on its website (dunedin.govt.nz/elections). Figures updated on Tuesday showed that 6333 people or 6.5% of voters had returned their voting papers.
“There has been a lot of work done to encourage people to vote,” Ms Sullivan said.
“The main thing is, we want people to get their voting papers back to us as soon as they can. It makes it easier and faster for us to get the results out on election day.”
To give voters as many chances as possible to get their voting papers in — including those who need to cast a special vote — electoral officers will be at the Civic Centre’s plaza conference and meeting rooms next Wednesday and Thursday, October 5 and 6, until about 7pm (depending on demand).
Electoral officials will also be in the Octagon on Saturday morning, October 8, collecting completed voting papers. Traffic management will be in place.
BRENDA.HARWOOD@thestar.co.nz
