Word on the street

With the countdown to election day well and truly on, officials are expecting most votes to be cast this week, before polls close at noon on Saturday.

Election returns for the Dunedin City Council sit around 18%, but the city has a reputation for leaving voting to the final week.

The Otago Daily Times asked people in central Dunedin yesterday 1) if they had voted in the election and 2) what they saw as the key issues.

1) On his way to vote.

2) Keeping Dunedin "up to scratch" and moving forwards, stopping wasteful spending.

John Dow,

of Dunedin.

1) Yes, had just voted. "If you don’t have a say, you can’t moan."

2) Voted for candidates she thought were "going to make a difference".

Pat Pullar, 

of Allanton.

1) Probably. 

2) "I guess I will vote. But I'm just voting for whoever my parents vote for."

Kahu Arona-Haua, 19,

of Dunedin.

1) Not yet but plans to.

2) Homelessness, working in the central city was "eye-opening".

Brendan Hassall, 26,

of Dunedin.

1) Yes.

2) Representation, including candidates’ backgrounds.

Ashleigh Rawling, 23,

of Dunedin.