Kaipara's Wairoa General Ward candidates spoke to a packed Dargaville meeting - the ward's 40 percent-plus local election voter turnout is the region's highest to date. Photo: LDR / Susan Botting
Kaipara District Council voter turnout is tracking ahead of its previous two local elections at the same time.
The district is still topping the region's voter turnout leaderboard with an overall local voter election return of 38.9 percent, at the latest 8 October figures available at publication time.
That figure's ahead of Kaipara District Council (KDC)'s 32.6 percent voter return in the 2019 local elections at the same date, and 29.3 percent in 2022.
More than 7000 Kaipara electors have had their say, their options to vote for a KDC general ward, their Northland Regional Council (NRC) general constituency and NRC's Māori constituency poll.
And the about 7300 electors in KDC's Wairoa General Ward are leading the race when it comes to Northland's voting returns.
Latest results show 3150 people or 43.1 percent of the ward's 7306 electors had made sure to have their say in the 2025 election.
There are only two days left for local election voting which must be done by noon on Saturday, 11 October.
Kaipara voters came out of the starting blocks early whilst the biggest voting day for electors in the region's two other district councils was Wednesday this week.
The Wairoa General Ward has marginally pipped Whangārei District Council (WDC)'s Whangārei Heads General Ward where 2175 people or 41.1 percent of its 5287 electors had voted.
Whangārei Heads General Ward achieved Northland's highest council voting percentage in the 2022 local elections with a 55 percent return.
WDC's 67,004 electors are showing a 31.76 percent voter return, with 21,225 people voting by 8 October.
Two hundred people turned out to a packed Wairoa General Ward candidates meeting in Dargaville. Photo: LDR / Susan Botting
Meanwhile, Far North District Council (FNDC)'s 48,451 electors are showing a 35.7 percent voter return, with 17,300 people voting so far.
The district's four FNDC council wards are showing between the lowest 31.6 percent for Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward and highest 38.4 percent Bay of Islands-Whangaroa General Ward voter returns.
FNDC's three community boards are showing a 35.7 percent voter return.
FNDC council ward voting returns to date are higher than in 2022 at the same time when 24.2 percent of electors had voted - but they're lower than in 2019 when 36.4 percent of electors had voted.
KDC's three wards' voters have achieved between the lowest 34 percent return for Kaiwaka-Mangawhai General Ward 34 percent and Wairoa General Ward's 43.1 percent voter returns.
Meanwhile, WDC's six wards' voters have achieved between a low of Whangārei District Māori Ward's 22.8 percent and Mangakahia-Maungatapere General Ward's 8.3 percent voter returns.
WDC voting returns to date are higher than in 2022 at the same time when 28.8 percent of electors had voted - but they're lower than in 2019 when 35 percent of electors had voted
And across the region, 45,650 people have voted for Northland Regional Council (NRC) candidates which is 34.1 percent voter return.
NRC voting returns to date are higher than in 2022 at the same time when 27.7 percent of electors had voted.
Its eight electoral areas' returns range from a low of 29 percent in Te Raki Māori Constituency to a high of 38.7 percent in its Bay of Islands-Whangaroa General Constituency.
Meanwhile, the 52,169 electors voting in Northland's three Māori electoral areas have achieved a 28.5 percent voter return with 14,875 people having chosen their candidates to date.
FNDC's Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward voter return rate tops the list with 4625 or 31 percent of its electors having their say to date.
In NRC's Te Raki Māori Constituency 7875 people or 29 percent of electors have had their say.
In WDC's Whangārei District Māori Ward 2375 electors or 22.8 percent of people have voted.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
