Meet your candidates virtually

This year, Gore District voters can learn more about their election candidates from the comfort of their own homes.

The Gore District Council has this week launched videos of mayoral and councillor candidates on its website and YouTube channel.

All candidates were offered the opportunity to participate in the Council-created videos and answer a few brief questions about themselves and their values.

One mayoral candidate – incumbent Ben Bell – and nine councillor candidates in the contested Gore ward and Gore at large ward took up the offer.

In the 2022 local body elections, the Gore District Council achieved a 53.4% voter turnout, ranking it the eighth highest in the country.

The Council’s deputy electoral officer Frances Shepherd said it was hoped that making candidates more accessible to voters would lift Gore’s voter turnout.

“A lack of information about candidates is seen as one of the reasons why people do not vote.”

Voting packs will be mailed to people on the electoral roll between 9 and 22 September. People can vote as soon as they receive their packs.

Voting closes at 12 noon Saturday 11 October.

You can watch the candidate videos our the Election candidates page, here is the link.