Final Result

The final result for the by-election held on Friday 9 November 2012 is as follows:

The voter return was 54.10%, being 2,215 voting papers

Mark Low
Electoral Officer
Timaru District Council
9 November 2012

Geraldine By-election Information

A by-election is required to fill an extraordinary vacancy for the Geraldine Ward of the Timaru District Council. The vacancy has arisen from the recent death of Mr Michael Oliver.

Public Notices

• Second Election Notice (32.05 kB)
• First Election Notice (33.45 kB)

Nominations

Nominations have now closed. Nominations received were:

• Aubrey, Donald
• Payne, Roger
• Simpson, McGregor
• Stevens, Kerry

A Candidates’ Handbook is available for download below, or by requesting a copy from the Electoral Officer on (03) 687 7280.

• Candidate Information Handbook (1.41 MB)

Voting in the by-election

Voting is by postal vote.

Electors will receive voting documents in the post between 18-23 October 2012 and a freepost envelope to return that document to the Council’s Electoral Officer.

The voting period is from Thursday 18 October to Noon, Friday 9 November 2012. Votes must be in the Electoral Officer’s hands by 12 noon, Friday 9 November 2012 to be counted.

• How do I vote?
• What is in a voting pack?
• When can I vote?
• What if I will be away from Timaru District during the voting period?
• Why is the return address for the Voting Papers in Christchurch?
• Why are candidates names all jumbled up on the voting document?
• How do I make a Special Vote?
• Who can vote?
• How do I enrol so I can vote?
• Voting Systems

How do I vote?

Electors must ensure their completed voting documents are received by 12 noon, Friday 9 November 2012. The voting system used is First Past The Post (FPP).

If you have not received your voting pack, you will need to request a special voting document from the Electoral Officer, Mark Low or Deputy Electoral Officer, Phillipa Tsukigawa - (03) 6877200.

Return to Voting Information

What is in a voting pack?

Voting packs include:

• Voting papers
• Information about how to complete and return your voting papers
• Candidate Profile Booklet containing photographs and information supplied by the candidates regarding their policies, and intentions if elected.
• Return Freepost Envelope

Return to Voting Information

When can I vote?

The voting period is from Thursday 18 October to Noon, Friday 9 November 2012. Votes must be in the Electoral Officer’s hands by 12 noon, Friday 9 November 2012 to be counted.

If there is insufficient time for your vote to be returned in the mail by the deadline, then it should be delivered to:

• Timaru - Timaru District Council Offices, King George Place, Timaru
• Geraldine - Timaru District Council Service Centre, Talbot Street, Geraldine
• Temuka - Timaru District Council Service Centre, King Street, Temuka

where a ballot box will be available until 12 noon on polling day.

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What if I will be away from Timaru District during the voting period?

For electors away from Timaru District during the voting period (18 October – 9 November 2012) voting papers will be mailed out to electors at their normal residential or postal addresses between 18-23 October 2012. If you are returning prior to the close of voting, complete your papers and return by no later than 12 noon, Saturday 9 November.

If an elector is leaving Timaru District before 18 October, and not returning until after 9 November, then they can contact the Electoral Officer or Deputy Electoral Officer on (03) 6877200 to arrange for special voting papers to be sent to a temporary address where they will be staying on.

When received at the temporary address, the voting papers should be completed and returned straight away in the return envelope provided. If the voting papers are being sent from overseas, the required local postage stamps must be affixed to cover the return airmail postage to New Zealand.

Special votes cannot be issued until Thursday 18 October 2012.

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Why is the return address for the Voting Papers in Christchurch?

Voting Papers are processed under contract by a company in Christchurch.

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Why are candidates names all jumbled up on the voting document?

The Council can make a decision under local electoral legislation about whether names will be listed on the voting document in alphabetical, pseudo-random or random order.

For this election, the Council decided on Random order.

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How do I make a Special Vote?

Special votes are available to electors:

• whose names do not appear on the final Electoral Roll, but who qualify as electors
• who did not receive a voting document previously posted to them
• who spoil or damage a voting document previously posted to them
• whose names appear on the Unpublished Roll

Special votes require the completion of a statutory declaration. This is a legal requirement and protects against possible duplicate voting.

Contact the Electoral Officer or Deputy Electoral Officer on (03) 6877200 or visit the Timaru District Council HQ in Timaru or Service Centres in Temuka or Geraldine to make a Special Vote.

If an elector requests a special vote and is not on the Parliamentary Roll (e.g. they turn 18 years of age after the Preliminary Electoral Roll closes), the person must enrol by 4pm, Thursday 8 November 2012.

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Who can vote?

All resident electors and non-resident ratepayer electors whose names appear on the parliamentary electoral roll for the Geraldine Ward only are eligible to vote in this election.

• Resident Roll - If you are on the parliamentary roll you will automatically be enrolled on the local body residential electoral roll at the address where you live.
• Ratepayer Roll - If you are on the parliamentary roll in one area and pay rates on a property in another area, you may be eligible to be enrolled on the non-resident ratepayer electors' roll.

Applications for registration as a ratepayer elector are to be made on the non-resident ratepayer elector enrolment form available from the Electoral Officer or Council website and must be returned to the Electoral Officer before 5pm Thursday 20 September 2012.

• Ratepayer Elector Form (238.05 kB)

Return to Voting Information

How do I enrol so I can vote?

To enrol or make any changes to the resident roll (address details etc.) you can either:

• complete the appropriate form at any post shop; or
• telephone 0800 ENROLNOW (0800 367 656); or
• visit the Electoral Enrolment Centre website at www.elections.org.nz

You will need to request a special voting document from the Electoral Officer if you have not enrolled by 20 September 2012.

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Voting Systems

The Local Electoral Act 2001 allows a local authority to use either the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system or the Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral system for electing its members. FPP is used for this election.

• FPP - Electors vote by indicating their preferred candidate(s), and the candidate(s) that receives the most votes is declared the winner, regardless of the proportion of votes that candidate(s) received. The FPP electoral system is used for Timaru District Council, Environment Canterbury and the Geraldine Licensing Trust.
• STV - STV is a proportional electoral system and electors are required to rank their candidates in order of preference. The STV system is compulsory for all District Health Board elections. Check out www.stv.govt.nz to find out how STV works.

Return to Voting Information

Key dates for the 2012 Geraldine Ward by-election

Mark Low
Electoral Officer – Timaru District Council
PO Box 522, Timaru 7940
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