Tight race for final council seats
Voters have decided who will sit around the council table.
The make-up of the Taupō District Council is still up in the air with tight contests for three of the 12 councillor seats.
By Dan Hutchinson
John Funnell is a clear winner for the mayoralty, however there is only a handful of votes separating candidates in three other seats.
With special votes still to be counted, the preliminary results has Hope Woodward now leading in the Mangakino-Pouakani Ward by just three votes, over Marlene Johnson, who had been leading on Saturday afternoon.
In the Te Papamārearea Māori Ward, Wahine Murch is a clear frontrunner for the first seat, but Ngāhuia Foreman (827 votes) and incumbent Danny Loughlin (820) both still in the contest for the second seat.
In Taupō, Barry Delany (4128) is ahead of Steve Manunui (4110) by just 18 votes for the seventh seat in that ward.
Voter turnout is 53.75%.
Preliminary results 9am Monday
Mayoralty
FUNNELL, John (Independent) 5,386
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COZENS, Zane (Independent) 4,062
TREWAVAS, David James 2,879
TAYLOR, Kevin (Independent) 2,711
INFORMAL 6
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 151
Mangakino-Pouakani Ward (1 vacancy)
WOODWARD, Hope (Let's Go Taupō) 310
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JOHNSON, Marlene 307
INFORMAL 0
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 30
Taupō Ward (7 vacancies)
RANKIN, Christine 5,331
TAYLOR, Kevin (Independent) 5,175
SHEPHERD, Rachel 4,997
WESTERMAN, Yvonne (Independent) 4,818
CAMPBELL, Duncan 4,699
DE LAUTOUR, Nicola 4,690
DELANY, Barry Owen 4,128
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MANUNUI, Steve 4,110
YEOMAN, Julie 3,945
WALKER, Belinda (Independent) 3,753
TWEEDIE, Ann (Let's Go Taupo) 2,920
PUNTER, Steve (Independent) 2,704
CLARKE, Bill 2,553
CADE, Richard 1,751
FREEMAN, David 1,319
WYNYARD, Mark 707
WILSON, Katrin (Independent) 411
INFORMAL 27
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 128
Tūrangi-Tongariro Ward (1 vacancy)
GREENSLADE, Sandra 917
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RAFFERTY (RAFF), Alan 478
LIVINGSTONE, David 142
INFORMAL 6
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 35
Taupō East Rural Ward (1 vacancy)
LEONARD, Kylie (Independent) 494
STAFFORD, Rebecca (Let's Go Taupō) 312
INFORMAL 0
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 55
Te Papamārearea Māori Ward (2 vacancies)
MURCH, Wahine 1,096
FOREMAN (NEE ASHER), Ngāhuia (Toitū Te Tiriti) 827
LOUGHLIN, Danny Aperahama 820
INFORMAL 0
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 33
Māori Ward Poll - Taupō DC
I VOTE TO REMOVE THE MĀORI WARD 8,700
I VOTE TO KEEP THE MĀORI WARD 5,774
INFORMAL 2
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 719
The voter return was 53.75%, being 15,195 votes, excluding special votes.