“The judge said there were sufficient quality assurance and other checks in place to provide confidence in the result,” Mayor Foster says.
“This shows we can have confidence in the integrity of the voting system, both in Wellington and around the country, and it has also saved the ratepayers the significant cost of a recount.
“The Chief Electoral Officer’s evidence was very strong, showing the system was very robust and there were checks and balances.
“The evidence was also that a good number of the partial and informal votes were votes cast for me, and even if they had been counted, the result would not have changed.
“I am very pleased to get this behind us. We can now move on with certainty and get on with the business of Council.
“It is unfortunate that it has taken this long to get to this point.”