Kaipara mayoral hopeful Jonathan Larsen leads Snow Tane by 53 votes.
A similar situation has unfolded in Whangārei with less than 70 votes between Vince Cocurullo, who is seeking re-election, and Ken Couper.
Today’s results are the voting count based on ballot papers cast before 5pm on Friday. Votes cast before midday today and special votes are not included.
The early count reflects about 90% of all votes but is not the final count which is expected this Friday.
Kaipara District Council
Fifty-three votes separate mayoral front runner Jonathan Larsen from second pick Snow Tane.
Progressive results show Larsen has 2534 votes compared with Tane’s 2482.
Next is Jason Smith with 2460 followed by Ash Nayyar yet to cross the 1000 threshold with 982 votes in his favour.
Tane is strides ahead in the race for one of three available Wairoa Ward seats as he sits on 1941 votes.
More than 700 votes separate Tane and closest rivals Josephine Nathan, who has 1151 votes, and Jan Beatty with 1081.
Behind Beatty is Gordon Lambeth, who was seeking re-election to the position, on 1070 votes and former Māori Ward Pera Paniora with 1056 votes.
First in line for the three vacancies in the Kaiwaka-Mangawhai Ward is Rachael Williams with 1597 votes.
Behind her is the now former mayor Craig Jepson, clocking 1419 votes, and third is Luke Canton with 1333.
The current favourites to fill the two Otamatea Ward vacancies are Mike Shimanski on 674 votes and Mark Vincent, just 17 votes shy of the lead.
Fiona Kemp trails with 593 votes.
The current results were generated just after noon today and more are expected throughout the afternoon.
Māori Ward vote
Voters have decided they want to get rid of the Māori constituency at Northland Regional Council.
Progress results show 26,676 voted to remove the Māori ward, 2090 ahead of those wanting to keep it.
Voter turnout
Voter turnout for the local elections has reportedly been low around the country.
In Northland, voter turnout in Kaipara was the highest recorded in six years.
Latest data showed 46.5% of Kaipara’s 18,327 voters had had their say on this year’s candidates.
In the Far North, 41.4% of the district’s 48,451 eligible voters had returned their ballot papers.
Whangārei’s voter turnout was last recorded as 36.3% of an eligible 67,004.
The Northland Regional Council has a total of 133,713 voters, 39.6% of whom had done so at last count.
Council voting systems
Both the Northland Regional Council and Kaipara District Council use First Past the Post (FPP).
The voting system means the candidate/s with the most votes win.
Both Far North District Council and Whangārei District Council use Single Transferable Voting (STV).
Whangārei District Council made the change this election after having used FPP since 2001.
Under STV, voters are able to rank candidates in terms of preference.
The results of the voting system are said to more likely reflect the preferences of a greater number of voters since other preferences are taken into account.
Stay tuned to The Northern Advocate to see results as they land.