From the KCDC electoral officer, Katrina Shieffelbein:

potiThe election season is well underway and with voting papers arriving in boxes from this Friday, I wanted to send an update and let you know about a couple of new initiatives to help make it easier for more people to vote.

Voting papers should arrive in voters’ mail boxes by 25 September [but not all will arrive that day, even two people in the same household can get their envelopes on different days. —Eds]. If you have queries from people who haven’t received their papers please forward them to me [we will].

It is not too late to enrol and special vote. Voters can enrol up to 11 October, but to vote they will need to special vote by either asking for special vote papers to be sent out, or going to one of our special vote locations.

Our new initiatives include:

  • a one day, special vote service will be offered for the first time at the Ōtaki Library on October 5th. This will be during library opening hours and will provide an easier option for those who would otherwise have to travel to Paraparaumu to special vote;
  • a mobile voting station will travel through the district from 8-10 October to provide an extra opportunity for those who have missed the post deadline to lodge their voting papers. A schedule of places and times will be available on our website.
  • drop boxes for voting at Wellington Railway Station will be available on the last week of voting; and
  • a regional voting hub at WCC Arapaki Manners Library and Service Centre in Manners St, Wellington will be available from this Friday. This will allow our voters to drop in their voting papers and undertake special votes in Wellington.

We are currently updating our website and will be promoting it as the place to go to answer voters’ questions in the first instance.

The new voting pages will go live today and we’ll start advising the media and the public as well. Check out kapiticoast.govt.nz/vote

Comment from reader Kathy Thompson: You could also put your voting paper into any Library or service centre. This information is on the front page of How to Vote, Page 25 of today’s Kapiti News. A very convenient place to put your vote as our NZ Post is always late & hopeless with delivery.