-
Related
The Green Party has missed out on a chance to run in the Botany by-election for failing to register its candidate in time.
The Electoral Commission has released the details of who is standing in the March 5 by-election and where people can vote.
The Greens announced in a press release late last night that it had selected former staffer Richard Leckinger to stand, but Chief Electoral Officer Robert Peden said Leckinger had not made it.
"A completed nomination form from the Green Party was not received before the legal deadline of noon today and therefore the Electoral Commission could not accept the nomination," he said.
Leckinger was upset.
"Gutted. In one word gutted. My heart is broken for the Green Party folk in Botany who had pulled all this together. I am gutted, it's a real disappointment that I got stuck in traffic on Ti Rakau Drive."
He said he showed up at the registrar's office at 10am but the official discovered one of his nominees had, by moving a couple of blocks, moved to the Hunua electorate rather than Botany.
Leckinger dashed back to Botany to get another signature but made it back two minutes late.
"I kept saying to the lights 'please don't let this end this way'."
Leckinger doubted there was much campaigning he could do now as public meetings were intended for candidates.
"And I understand that, you don't necessarily want people who aren't on the ballot. I am not sure what the next step is at the moment, at the moment its about consoling the people who put the hard work in and regrouping for November (the General election)."
Eighteen polling booths will be set-up around the electorate for people voting on March 5.
On Election Day, Saturday 5 March, there will be 18 polling places in the Botany electorate.
See a list of where the polling places will be here.
Advance voting starts on Wednesday February 16.
Botany by-election candidates:
Al-Saady, Hussain - Pirate Party of New Zealand
Biggs, Leo Aotearoa - Legalise Cannabis Party
Bright, Penny - Independent
Caithness, Robin - Join Australia Movement Party
Goh, Robert - Independent
Murphy, Lyn - Act New Zealand
Ross, Jami-Lee - National Party
Wood, Michael - Labour Party
Young, Paul - New Citizen Party
Young, Wayne - Independent
