1962 Dunedin mayoral election

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1962 Dunedin mayoral election
Flag of New Zealand.svg
  1959 13 October 1962 1965  
Turnout19,630
  Stuart Sidey, 1953.jpg Russell Calvert (crop).jpg
Candidate Stuart Sidey Russell Calvert
PartyCitizens' Labour
Popular vote10,0039,541
Percentage50.9548.62

Mayor before election

Stuart Sidey

Elected mayor

Stuart Sidey

The 1962 Dunedin mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1962, elections were held for the Mayor of Dunedin plus other local government positions including twelve city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Contents

Background

Stuart Sidey, the incumbent Mayor was re-elected for a second term. He narrowly defeated councillor Russell Calvert who was the Labour Party candidate. Initially Phil Connolly the MP for Dunedin Central (who had run in 1953) was to be Labour's mayoral candidate, but was forced to withdraw on grounds of ill-health. Connolly was sure he would have won had he stood, a feeling which was reinforced after the comparatively inexperienced Calvert came so close to winning against Sidey. [1]

The Citizens' Association increased their council representation, winning ten seats on the city council to the Labour Party's two.

Results

The following table shows the results for the election:

1962 Dunedin mayoral election [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Citizens' Stuart Sidey 10,00350.95−2.49
Labour Russell Calvert 9,54148.62
Informal votes860.43−0.41
Majority 4622.35+5.38
Turnout 19,630

Notes

  1. Jamieson 2009, p. 265.
  2. "Mayoralty Polling Council". Otago Daily Times . 15 October 1962. p. 5.

References