Ensuring every vote counts

Parata Retirement Village resident Colleen Whitefield places her voting envelope into the voting bin taken around the village last week by Gore District Council deputy electoral officer Frances Shepherd.

Village manager Mary Pullar said the village was lucky to have a candidates meeting at the start of last month.

She said Ms Shepherd went door to door with her voting bin, inviting residents to cast their vote. "We’re just really proactive about ... supporting [people] with their democratic right," Mrs Pullar said. "And just making sure that anybody who wishes to vote is able to."