The Porirua Mayoralty

Porirua also elects their Mayor with STV, so I figured I would also look at how their election went. There were five main candidates (and four others) – Cr Nick forLeggett, Deputy Mayor Litea Ah Hoa, former Race Relations Conciliator Gregory Fortuin, Cr Liz Kelly, former Cabinet Minister Russell Marshall and Mike Duncan.

On 1st preferences the results were:

1. Leggett 37%
2. Ah Hoy 18%
3. Fortuin 13%
4. Kelly 10%
5. Marshall 8%

After eliminating the four minor candidates, it was:

1. Leggett 42%
2. Ah Hoy 20%
3. Fortuin 16%
4. Kelly 12%
5. Marshall 10%

So Leggett picked up the plurality of the vote from the minors.  Then Marshall dropped out:

1. Leggett 45%
2. Ah Hoy 22%
3. Fortuin 18%
4. Kelly 14%

Kelly went next:

1. Leggett 52%
2. Ah Hoy 26%
3. Fortuin 22%

So Leggett won quite easily – and with an iteration to spare.  What helped him is that he picked up a plurality of the preferences from each defeated candidate as they dropped out (except for the first two minor ones).

Leggett started off with fewer first preferences that Kerry Prendergast. But as he was not the incumbent Mayor, he was able to pick up many of the second preferences from candidates as they dropped out. This is harder for an incumbent to do, as people often rate you first or last.