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Friday, Oct 11, 2013
Big Mt Hutt finale after Y dramatic A D year P6 O T
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
D Day looms in election BY SUE NEWMAN
SUE.N@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
Ashburton’s mayoralty might be a three-horse race but that doesn’t mean the punters are prepared to place many bets on their favourites. With just over 24 hours remaining until voting closes in this year’s local body elections, the Ashburton District Council be heading for its lowest return of ballot papers ever. Late yesterday just 39.13 per cent of papers had been returned. At the same time in the 2010 election the return rate at the same stage was 52.91 per cent. Voters have had four weeks to vote and return their ballot papers either by post to the electoral office or by hand to the Ashburton District Council. A surprisingly low number have bothered. There may have been minimal interest in voting by post but there has been strong interest in taking part online in the Guardian’s poll conducted to gauge voter support for the three mayoral candidates. The poll may have been unscientific, but it pulled in the votes. In the early stages, sitting mayor Angus McKay surged ahead with Ashburton Citizens
Association member Russell Ellis in hot pursuit. Former Mount Hutt College principal Don McLeod was slow out of the starting gates but rallied and gained significant support in the mid stages of the poll. For several days Mr McKay maintained his dominance but by Wednesday morning the chasers had gained ground and the mayoralty appeared to be wide open. And so it continued until the poll closed at 9pm last night. It’s still anyone’s guess who’ll wear the district’s mayoral chains after voting closes at noon on Saturday. Provisional results will be known later that afternoon with the final vote count (including special votes) likely to be completed by Tuesday. Every voter on the district’s electoral role is entitled to vote for the mayor while people in the council’ urban ward can choose seven councillors from 13 on offer. Every voter in the Ashburton Trust area has the opportunity to select six candidates from a list of nine. There is no election for the council’s eastern and western wards.
Russell Ellis
POLL RESULT Final results from the Guardianonline mayoral poll.
29%
Ellis
37%
32%
McKay
McLeod
Angus McKay
Don McLeod
For Saturday’s results go to Guardianonline Ph 03 307 7900 to subscribe!
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