Anaylsis of voting patterns across New Zealand revealed that the WAIKATO DISTRICT ELECTION had the lowest voter turnout for any area in New Zealand. Only 16.8 of people had voted. But over the last few days more people have voted so that with 8,647 votes counted from a possible total of 40,444, the current return rate is close to 21.4%.
While this is an improvement, it still means that less than one person in four has bothered to vote. The disjointed Waikato district, sprawls from Franklin in the north to Tamahere in the south, and without any central focus, takes in the towns of Huntly, Ngaruawahia and Raglan and the communities of Mercer, Franklin, Whatawhata and Te Kauwhata.