The local Elections will be held on October 9, following which Auckland’s existing eight local authorities (seven Local Councils and the Auckland Regional Council) will be dissolved.
The new Council will represent nearly 1.5 million people, stretching from Wellsford in the north to Franklin in the south.
The new Council will have two complementary parts, a Governing Body comprising the Mayor, 20 Councillors and 149 members from 21 Local Boards.
The Governing Body will focus on major issues, decisions and strategies affecting the whole region, while Local Boards will represent their communities and decide on local issues.
Citizens and Ratepayers have 15 candidates of Indian origin standing for the Local Government Elections.
They are Dr Ajit Singh (Counties-Manukau District Health Board), Arunjeev Singh (Papakura), Avtar Hans (Papatoetoe), Balu Mistry (Manurewa), Ella Kumar (Puketapapa-MtRoskill), Gurmeeta Singh (Manurewa), Jugjeet Singh (Mangere-Otahuhu), Mahan Ranchod (Pukekohe), Mohammad Tauquir Khan (Mangere-Otahuhu), Narinder Singla (Papatoetoe), Raj Mitra (Whanau), Rakesh Nauhria (Albert-Eden Maungawhau), Ram Rai (Puketapapa -Mt Roskill), Roshni Golian (Maungakiekie) and Sukhminder Singh (Manurewa)
It is important that you vote in these local elections. I have had many queries on how to vote and when to vote. I hope the following information would be useful.
Voters will use two different electoral systems:
First Past The Post (FPP) Electoral System: The elections for Mayor, Councillors, Local Boards and Licensing Trusts will be on the FPP System. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes would be elected.
Single Transferable Voting system (STV) will be used for all District Health Board elections. STV is easy to follow when you think of it as simply deciding which candidates you prefer most, and putting them in a numbered priority list. You number Single Transferable Voting (STV) Electoral System: You would mark the candidates in order of preference. You can vote for as many or as few candidates as you like.
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi is Member of Parliament on National Party List. The above article is exclusive to Indian Newslink ©
Local Government Elections
The Next Steps
September 17 to 22: Your voting document package comprising a Directory of Candidates with their statements to help you decide. If you do not receive the package, please call (09) 973 5212 or 0800- 922822.
17 September to October 6: Exercise your choice, complete the voting document, seal it in the return postage-paid orange envelope, and post before 5 pm on October 6 to guarantee that your vote is received in time.
October 9: If you have not voted yet, you can do so at any of the public libraries before midday. Preliminary results will be announced later in the day.
October 14: Official declaration of results
Website: www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
