Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Quake has not put Christchurch voters off

Updated at 8:01 pm on 28 September 2010

Despite the earthquake, the Christchurch City Council says residents still may reverse the trend of falling voter numbers in local body elections.

The council's electoral officer, Clare Sullivan, says that about 38,000 voters, or 14.86% of those enrolled, have already voted.

That is similar to the figure at the same point in the 2007 elections.

Ms Sullivan says the Burwood-Pegasus ward was most affected by the earthquake but still has the council's third highest turnout.

She says voter numbers were extremely low in 2004 (at just under 39% overall) and crept up slightly in 2007. An even better result this time would confirm that the trend had reversed, she says.

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