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Electoral Commission Preparing for Te Tai Tokerau By-Election

May 12, 2011 | Media release

The Electoral Commission is gearing up to deliver a by-election in the Te Tai Tokerau electorate on Saturday 25 June.

“We will be working in the community to ensure voters enrolled in the Te Tai Tokerau electorate know the major difference between this by-election and the 2011 General Election,” says Chief Electoral Officer Robert Peden.

“In the by-election Te Tai Tokerau people only have one vote - for their electorate MP. There is no Party Vote,” says Mr Peden.

The Electoral Commission expects to provide around 130 polling places across the Te Tai Tokerau electorate, which extends from the North Shore of Auckland to Cape Reinga.

Voters unable to vote at a polling place in the Te Tai Tokerau electorate on 25 June will be able to vote at an advance voting place before election day. Polling places will only be available inside the electorate on election day.

Advance voting and voting from overseas will start on Wednesday 8 June 2011.

Information about where to vote will be available from www.elections.org.nz from Tuesday 31 May 2011.

”The EasyVote card is an important feature of the Te Tai Tokerau by-election, and people are urged to enrol to vote as quickly as possible so they can receive their EasyVote card to make it easy when they go to vote,” says Mr Peden.

A timeline for the Te Tai Tokerau by-election is set out below.

25 JUNE TE TAI TOKERAU BY-ELECTION TIMETABLE

Thursday 12 May Te Tai Tokerau electorate by-election date announced

Wednesday 25 May Writ Day

Governor General issues direction to the Electoral Commission to hold the Te Tai Tokerau by-election.

Electoral Rolls closed for printing.

Voters enrolled after this date cast a special declaration vote.

Thursday 26 May Nominations open for candidates in the Te Tai Tokerau by-election

Tuesday 31 May Nominations close for candidates in the Te Tai Tokerau by-

Noon Deadline election

Tuesday 31 May Te Tai Tokerau by-election candidates announced by the

4.00pm target Electoral Commission.

Ballot Paper printing starts.

Wednesday 8 June Advance Voting starts

Wednesday 8 June Overseas voting starts

Saturday 18 June Delivery of EasyVote packs to those enrolled in the Te Tai Tokerau electorate

Friday 24 June Enrolments close

Friday 24 June All political advertising ceases and election signs taken down by midnight

Saturday 25 June Te Tai Tokerau By-election held

Polling places open from 9.00am to 7.00pm

Saturday 25 June Preliminary Results progressively available from 7pm

on www.electionresults.govt.nz. Targets for release are:

- by 7.30pm all advance vote results

- by 9.00pm results from 50% of polling places

- by 10.00pm results from 100% of polling places.

These are targets not guarantees.

Wednesday 6 July Official Results declared (including special declaration and

noon target overseas votes)

Monday 11 July Deadline for applications for judicial recount.

Thursday 14 July Return of Writ by Electoral Commission naming successful candidate (presuming no recount)

Friday 30 September Deadline for Returns of Candidate Election Expenses and Donations to Electoral Commission

Te Tai Tokerau by-election media kit

E whakarite ana Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri mō te pōtitanga motuhake o Te Tai Tokerau