Media Release 28/09/07 - The First Vote is as Important as the Last

John Martin says the recent Chronicle Poll was a rallying call for his supporters and all voters. While the poll indicated a higher level of support for the incumbent at that point he says, "A poll is a poll and not the election and the outcome is still far from decided.

"I will take this as a message to double my efforts, to meet as many of you as possible and to demonstrate to you, the Wanganui electorate, that I am the mayoral candidate to truly fulfil the potential of this town, progressively and with dignity," says John.

"I also urge all of you to use your democratic right and to vote for the best representatives for you and your community."

Polls can be useful in making predictions, he says, but ultimately they don't help voters to make up their minds and don't represent the true voting figures. An independent poll carried out among 500 residents on the street (as opposed to being conducted by phone) gave John a substantial lead and the feedback from the voters surveyed face-to face tells a very different story.

One thing all the polls agree on is that is a two-horse race between the incumbent mayor and John Martin. "My opponent has a bigger budget, three years of media saturation under his belt and plenty of opportunities for 'extra' publicity through council events," says John. "This was always going to be a hard fight. However, I trust in the people of Wanganui when they tell me they want someone who can keep the district moving forward and do it with respect and dignity. I am that person.

"The last vote is as important as the first vote and be assured I will not rest until the last vote is counted and the real result decided."