Preliminary Result of Citizens Intiated Referendum

The Electoral Commission has released the preliminary result of the Citizens Initiated Referendum on the question “Do you support the Government selling up to 49% of Meridian Energy, Mighty River Power, Genesis Power, Solid Energy and Air New Zealand?”

2013 Citizens Initiated Referendum Preliminary Result

Votes Number
of Votes Received Percentage
of Total Valid Votes
For the response
Yes 432,950 32.5%
For the response
No 895,322 67.2%
Informal votes* 4068 0.31%
Total valid votes 1,332,340 100.0%

*An informal vote is where the voter has not clearly indicated the response they wish to vote for.

Voter turnout on the basis of the preliminary result is 43.9%. Turnout is calculated by taking the total votes cast of 1,333,402 (being total valid and invalid votes) as a percentage of the total number of voters enrolled as at 21 November 2013 (3,037,405).

The number of invalid votes cast was 1,062 or 0.08% of total votes cast. Invalid votes are excluded from the count and include, for example, voting papers that cannot be processed because the voter has made the QR Code unreadable, or voting papers cancelled as a result of replacement voting papers being issued.
The Electoral Commission will now complete checks and count voting papers still to be received, before releasing the final result.
• All voting papers must be returned by noon Tuesday 17 December to be included in the final result.
• Voting papers from overseas must be postmarked no later than Thursday 12 December to count (to account for time zone differences and the close of the poll).

“The final result will be declared after the deadline of noon Tuesday 17 December for voting papers to be returned to the Returning Officer,” says Robert Peden, Chief Electoral Officer. “Our target to release the final result is 5.00pm Tuesday 17 December.”

The preliminary result is available from www.electionresults.govt.nz. This includes a breakdown of votes by electorate.

ENDS

© Scoop Media