Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Prospects

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  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Now, making food for guests later, which is another thing that makes me happy.

    So dinner round your house. What time will you be expecting all of us Everyone could watch your freeview ;)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Well. I've voted. Who won? come on, the suspense is killing me.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Moz,

    Yeah, telling ozzies that we can't campaign on election day always raises eyebrows and not a few "that would be wonderful" comments. The flip side is that handing out how to vote cards does help where there can be more than 50 candidates that must be ranked, and it also shows party membership strength. I've been on a few booths where there were volunteers from the current MP and The Greens and that was it, because the "opposition" had conceded the seat and put their volunteers from that electorate somewhere else. It's also funny to see hired help handing out Liberal material while telling people to vote Labour/Green (often they're hired because it's an immigrant-heavy electorate and they speak languages other than English - my partner gets lots of offers at good wages because she's ethnically Vietnamese). Of course, the Liberals have no way to stop their hired help doing that because the whole need to hire them arises from not having anyone who does actually speak the language...

    Sydney, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 1233 posts Report

  • Matthew Poole,

    Went up the road to St George's and voted. 15-minute return trip, to walk there and back and do my thing in the booth. Did the left-leaning Epsom voter thing, but word from a friend's parents who're on the Epsom Labour committee is that Rodders is considered a dead-cert so just vote for whoever actually floats your boat.

    I'm somewhat gutted, because a show that I'm involved with opens tonight (and the date was set last year, so I blame Helen! :P) so I can't watch the early returns. Won't get home before 11, at best, so it'll be halfway over before I even get started.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report

  • Hilary Stace,

    Just off to vote. Waiting for a ride with my friend who has already voted in Palmerston North. My son who I've written about (with his permission) on the humans site is autistic and is a passionate supporter of the democratic process. He has watched all the election speeches,followed the election coverage on every TV channel, read the leaflets - not just in today's election but in the USA's one last week, and even in Australia last year. He is waiting impatiently at the door with his easy vote card, for me to be ready. I suspect his will be a vote for Helen since he met her in person at her at his not-Godfather's civil union a couple of years ago, and Grant Robertson since he has met him recently too - but is perfectly able to make up his own mind unassisted in the booth, and it will be a very well informed choice. I just hope the form isn't too complicated. Helps if there are visual symbols.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    I've just been looking at the Election08 site (TV3) and I can't find anywhere to view results as they come in, not that there would be any yet but I wanted to be ready. Where is all the analysis, the swingometer thingy, the worm or whatever. Does anybody have a better site?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Islander,

    I'm just off to vote (in Franz Josef.) Bright sunshine here, with a bit of a breeze.
    Because I'm registered in Te Tai Toka, mine will be a special vote, but there'll be quite a few of those - tourists, seasonal statt et al-

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    In answer to my own question and for the benefit of anyone who was looking for the same stuf.
    TVOne has a good site set up for today. And, of course electionresults.govt.nz/ will be displaying results from around 7 tonight.
    Like you didn't already know that :-P

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Matthew Poole,

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Remeber the old adage... Vote early & vote often ;p

    Voted at Boys' High Christchurch and although it only had a couple of others voting at the time it was really nice to see parents taking their kids along to show them the process.

    Must grumble about the electorate candidates for Ilam as only Gerry had passed our way and I don't know what any of the other candidates look like.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report

  • Ian MacKay,

    Hey. I am surprised that the Herald did not publish an instruction for one party or the other to vote tomorrow to relieve congestion. Don't know which party would be the target for that. :)

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Thank you Matthew. The moment i posted that I remembered, must be getting senile.

    Remember the old adage... Vote early & vote often ;p

    Ha, When I went to vote the lady asked me if i had voted before so I said "Yes, I always vote, I vote early and often" She gave me a look normally reserved for those who have just broken wind and said "Well If you don't use your democratic right to vote they may take it away from you and we wouldn't want that, would we?"
    "It's OK" I responded "I'm not voting for them"
    Joy and merriment abounded. I then went off and bought a cream donut with a big dob of red jam on top to celebrate.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Ian MacKay,

    Steve: That is very funny! And your reply hilarious. Wish I could think that quickly on my feet, or hands for that matter.

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Voting in New Zealand, even when one's heart is heavy at the eventual prospects, is such a nice experience, I had a smile on the back of my head by the time I was done. The only drawback I can see is that the if your school is a polling place you don't get any extra holidays - in Italy it used to mean two whole weeks off (for reasons that I was never quite able to divine). But then here kids for the most part like going to school.

    Weird country.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Because I'm registered in Te Tai Toka, mine will be a special vote, but there'll be quite a few of those - tourists, seasonal statt et al-

    Why so? Te Tai Tonga encompasses the entire South Island, and at my polling place we just had an extra box for that electorate. Are there not enough people on the Maori roll where you are to justify that? Seems a bit silly to make it a special vote!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report

  • Yamis,

    I, like, totally voted.

    so good.

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report

  • Deborah,

    I am really surprised and curious that you voted Maori Party Deborah

    For reasons. It surprised me too.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I voted at the local College of Education, taking my 2 year old daughter along for her first election!

    I ticked the boxes (Green Party, Victor Billot from the Alliance for electorate, know him a bit from when he was Critic Editor, and figure he should get some small reward for his work when Pete Hodgson wins one of NZ's safest electorates) because she was a bit young to do more than scribble all over the paper.

    However she got to put the ballot paper in the big box, and we turned down the snake lolly we were offered on the way out (my daughter has more food allergies than there are types of food) and went home where she's now having a 2 hours (and counting) long nap.

    No queue, only one other person in there.

    I'm looking forward to tonight. The US election was exciting in that it was a landslide and the result was great. You could tell within a couple of hours that your thoughts beforehand were going to be confirmed. I'm thinking this election will be closer and we're likely to finish the night unknown, and that's the interesting part of politics. And I'm going to two parties and for a very rare night out, not driving, so it'll be staggering home at 2am under the influence.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    we turned down the snake lolly we were offered on the way out ...

    Dodgy.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report

  • Blake Monkley,

    I voted back on the 22nd October, by downloading the online voting papers and posting back to Wellington. I miss the excitement of casting a ballot at a booth on election day,just seems more real.

    It's great to do your little part for democracy and nice to see predictions of a large turn-out.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 215 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Dodgy.

    So the photo the Herald is showing of a coffee tent next to the voting sign is also dodgy?

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Hilary Stace,

    Just a warning, the Freeview TV7 programme from the Back Bencher tonight is sharing the venue with the local Nat's election party.

    My son and I went to vote at his friendly former primary school, Thorndon. There was a short queue which was probably because it is right next to Thorndon Pool and one of the busiest New World supermarkets. But otherwise very efficient - so efficient everyone, particularly the party scrutineers, looked slightly bored.

    This is the 15th NZ election I have been aware of and the 12th I've voted in (unfortunately, I was too young to vote against Holyoake). And the easiest. You can now enrol up the day beforehand, and just have to tick what you want. I remember when Winston first got in in Hunua all those years ago, the electoral petition he took against Roger Douglas' brother Malcolm - who won on the night - was one disputing whether those who had voted had actually ''struck out those for whom they didn't wish to vote', and anyone who had merely ticked ended up having their vote disallowed!

    So nice to vote in your own community. We knew some of the people behind the desks and my son was pleased to see two of his Special Olympics swimming coaches in front of us in the queue. The hall we voted in was moved to the school in 1999 and I was reminded of the long process that had been for the school board. It looks so established now. I was involved with the school throughout the 1990s, and the battles we all fought about government special ed policy are still vivid. But all was sunny and cheerful today.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I guess the question is, would you prefer to know they were party-appointed scrutineers, or if they were just sitting there looking like official election people with no identifying material.

    Well, having been a scrutineer I'd much rather they be clearly identifiable so any questions or inquiries that it would be totally inappropriate for partisan observers to be involved in can be directed to the non-partisan, generally splendid poll workers.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report

  • 81stcolumn,

    I actually voted yesterday (not sure where I would end up today) and AUT was quite busy then. I like the no campaigning rule and I like voting here; I always felt guilty when voting in the UK. I was always a bit peeved that the Welsh Assembly never quite got its act together and voting in Wales seemed almost wasteful. The only redeeming feature of the UK system used to be that kids got the day off on polling day, don't s'pose they do that now.

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report

  • Ian MacKay,

    Voted in sunny Bleheim.
    I was a queue of one but I did ask politely if it was alright to queue in the doorway.
    They said that it was very busy up until 2pm compared to 2005.

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report

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