Student Shonelle Eastwood casts her vote early at an
advance voting booth set up at the University of Otago, one
of eight that opened around greater Dunedin yesterday.
Photo by Craig Baxter.
An overseas holiday away from her Dunedin North home
electorate was the perfect reason for student Shonelle Eastwood
to make use of an advance voting station that opened at the
University of Otago yesterday.
Eight advance polling stations will be in operation around
greater Dunedin, while further afield, voters can also make
sure they have their election say from some of New Zealand's
most distant and remote outposts.
A polling booth has been set up at Scott Base in the
Antarctic, while HMNZS Canterbury is delivering voting papers
across the Pacific Ocean to Department of Conservation
workers stationed on the volcanic archipelago outpost of
Raoul Island.
There was a slow trickle of voters at the University of
Otago-based polling booth yesterday morning.
The advance station has been set up to cater for students,
who, like Ms Eastwood may be outside the electorate on
election day, or unable to make it to the polls.
Chief electoral officer Robert Peden said more than 250
advance voting places would be available around the country
for people to cast their vote.
"If you're unable to get to a polling place on election day
because you're on holiday, working, in hospital or for any
other reason, voting in advance is the easiest way to have
your say," he said.
Other advance stations that opened at sites around greater
Dunedin yesterday are located at Moray Pl opposite First
Church, Knox Church Hall, the Mosgiel Senior Citizens Hall
and the Nations Christian Church in King Edward St, South
Dunedin.
Advance polling booths in Portobello, Brighton, Middlemarch
and Outram are also opening in the lead-up to election day on
November 26.
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