Internet Voting to be used for Hawke’s Bay Power Consumers’ Trust election
Date: 10 July 2008
Internet Voting is being used for the first time in this year’s HBPCT election of Trustees.
The Hawke’s Bay Power Consumers’ Trust [HBPCT] was established in 1993 to hold the shares in Unison Networks Ltd on behalf of the consumers who are connected to Unison's electricity network in Hawke's Bay. In simple terms, this is generally the areas of the Hastings District Council and the Napier City Council. Unison Networks Limited is the fourth largest electricity lines company in New Zealand and it is the distributor of electricity in Hawke’s Bay, Rotorua and Taupo.
The Trust is administered by five trustees and an election is held for all five trustees in September every three years. This year the Trust has decided to use internet and postal voting.
Returning Officer, Warwick Lampp, says “The Trust has decided to use internet voting because it offers a convenient and easy to use alternative to postal voting. The Trust wishes to make participating in this important election as convenient as possible for all electors.”
Eligible electors will be able to vote at any time of the night or day, at home or at work, by visiting the HBPCT Trust website http://hbpowertrust.co.nz and linking through to the voting site.
Instructions on how to vote on the internet will be mailed out to the 57,000 consumers with the voting documents in September. Each voter pack will contain a unique PIN number and password for those who want to vote on-line, as well as a return envelope for those electors who wish to vote by post. But Mr Lampp warns that while there are two ways to vote, doing both will render both votes invalid.
Nominations are now open for the election of FIVE Trustees, and close at 5pm on Friday 1 August 2008. Nomination packs are available from the Returning Officer by phoning the free phone Election Hotline 0508 666 556, or by visiting the Trust Secretary’s office at Brown Webb Richardson, 111 Avenue Road East, Hastings, phone 06 873 8037.
Voter packs will be posted out to consumers on Wednesday 10th September 2008 and voting closes at 5pm on Wednesday 1st October 2008. The candidates’ names will be in alphabetical order on the voting papers.
Warwick Lampp
Returning Officer - Hawke’s Bay Power Consumers’ Trust
electionz.com Ltd
wlampp@electionz.com
Election Hotline 0508 666 556
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