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New Plymouth residents are keen to have their say on the idea of a Maori ward on the district council, with more than 20,000 votes or 36 percent of postal votes coming in so far.
That’s twice the rate of voting for the council’s by-election earlier this year.
New Plymouth mayor Andrew Judd, who proposed the Maori ward, says it’s an issue that hits a nerve.
He says the council had put a lot of effort into creating forums where people could discuss their views and hear from political leaders on different sides of the debate.
Despite what he describes as a ramping up of personal criticism since the poll opened, Mr Judd is still optimistic about the outcome of the binding referendum.
Votes must be in by noon on May 15.
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