If you’re planning to vote by post in the local elections, you have only a few days left to get your envelope in a post box so it can be delivered before the voting deadline of noon on Saturday 8 October.

Voters are being asked to post their voting papers no later than Tuesday 4 October. Voting papers need time to be collected from postboxes and delivered to Christchurch, where they will be processed by Electionz.com.

After 4 October, you can still deliver your voting papers to one of the district’s ballot boxes – located at the Ashburton Public Library, at the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall in Methven and at Council’s Baring Square West offices in Ashburton. These orange ballot bins can be accessed during each facility’s opening hours, and all three will be open up until noon on the last day of voting, Saturday 8 October.

If your papers don’t arrive, are damaged or you forgot to enrol to vote, you may be able to cast a special vote.

You need to be on the electoral roll to request a special vote and you can do this by visiting vote.nz, or call 0800 36 76 56, or freetext your name and address to 3676.

You will need to cast your special vote at Council's offices. See our voteashburton.nz website for more information about special votes.