Nationwide voting similar in Whanganui electorate | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

The Whanganui electorate voted much like the entire country last Saturday, National winning a significant majority of the votes, although a breakdown in Wanganui suburbs shows Labour was preferred in some areas.

Of the more than 43,000 people enrolled to vote in the electorate, 68.5 per cent did so - 4538 fewer than in the election of 2008.

Nationally, the voter turnout was similar, 68 per cent.

Otago University political studies lecturer Bryce Edwards told Radio New Zealand this week the low voter turnout represented a growing discontent with political parties and stage-managed election campaigns that did little to inspire the average voter. He said one survey indicated up to half of voters felt no party represented their views or thoughts.

Dr Edwards said that because the National-led Government polled consistently much higher than Labour for the three years leading up to election day, many people would have seen the result as a foregone conclusion and chosen not to bother voting.

In Wanganui National dominated party and candidate voting in Durie Hill, Springvale, St John's Hill and the city, while Gonville, Castlecliff and Aramoho were Labour strongholds.

Wanganui East was the only suburb where the vote was split, National winning the party vote and Labour's Hamish McDouall the preferred candidate. Overall, National won 48 per cent of the party vote in the Whanganui electorate, Labour 27 per cent and the Green Party, 8.6 per cent.

National's Chester Borrows won the Whanganui seat with a 4786-vote majority, down on his 6333-vote majority of 2008, while Mr McDouall received 1802 fewer votes this time around.

Meanwhile, Dr Edwards said given that one million eligible voters did not make it to the polls on November 26, National's 48 per cent of the vote was provided by just 31 per cent of the total number of eligible voters.