Otamatea Ward councillor Mark Vincent wears a Mickey Mouse T-shirt during an emergency meeting to express his view of the outgoing council. (File photo) Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf
The drama's not yet over in Northland's closest election with one more cliff-hanger result - where three candidates are separated by just three votes - potentially heading for a recount.
In Kaipara District Council's two-seat Otamatea Ward, Mike Schimanski was a clear frontrunner with 820 votes, but the three candidates vying for the remaining seat were virtually neck-and-neck.
In the final result, Denise Rogers had 742 votes with Mark Vincent two votes behind on 740 and Fiona Kemp on 739.
In the preliminary result, Vincent was ahead by an equally miniscule margin, followed by Kemp and then Rogers, who leapfrogged her opponents once special votes were added.
Vincent, a councillor in the previous term, said he had applied for a recount and would file his submissions in the Whangārei District Court by 9am on Monday.
He expected the judge would decide whether to allow a recount within a day or two at most.
"I'm seeking a recount because I see a possibility of irregularities in the distribution of votes, including special votes. And as they say, sunlight is the best disinfectant, so I'd like to see that dealt with in the open."
Meanwhile, the Kaipara District Council remained in limbo until the successful candidates in the Otamatea Ward were confirmed.
That has forced swearing-in of the new councillors to be postponed yet again, this time to 12 or 14 November, depending on the judge's decision.
It's the third recount request in Northland's most fiercely contested election.
A recount application by mayoral candidate Snow Tane, who finished just 21 votes behind previous deputy mayor Jonathan Larsen, was declined on 24 October.
Tane will, however, be at the council table regardless, having won a seat in the Wairoa Ward with a 999-vote majority.
Meanwhile, Ash Nayyar requested a recount in the three-seat Wairoa Ward, where he finished fifth behind Tane, Joesephine Nathan, Gordon Lambeth and Pera Paniora.
His recount application was declined in the Auckland District Court on 30 October.
Nayyar served on the previous council and also contested the mayoralty, finishing fourth behind Larsen, Tane and Jason Smith.
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