Hausia leads as Papatoetoe re-run delivers early result

Preliminary results for the Papatoetoe subdivision of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board show four candidates provisionally elected, following the close of voting at midday.

Labour candidate Vi Hausia has taken the lead with 2788 votes. He is followed by Jeet Singh (2484 votes), Sandeep Saini (2479 votes), and Kushma Nair (2383 votes), all from the Papatoetoe Otara Action Team.

The four candidates are currently in line to fill the four vacant seats, although the result remains provisional.

Auckland Council says the preliminary count includes all votes cast before the deadline, excluding special votes, which are still to be processed and validated.

Kunal Bhalla (2343 votes) and Chris Latham (2342 votes) were the next closest candidates but remain outside the provisional top four.

A total of 58 informal votes and 8 blank votes were recorded.

The re-run election was triggered after a rare court decision voided the October 2025 result due to electoral irregularities, sending Papatoetoe voters back to the polls less than a year later.

Final results, including all validated special votes, are expected to be declared around midday on Friday 10 April.

The results will be emailed to candidates, published on Vote Auckland, and released publicly by Auckland Council.

Successful candidates will be sworn in at an extraordinary meeting of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board on Tuesday 21 April 2026.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.