This story will be updated live as results roll in, and with updates from Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times reporters out and about in the electorate tonight.

WAIARIKI:

• VOTES COUNTED: 9,768 - 19.8%
• LEADING CANDIDATE: Rawiri Waititi - 7,206
• 2ND CANDIDATE: Toni Boynton - 1,939
• Margin: 5,267
• PARTY VOTE LEAD: Labour Party 39.93%
• 2nd PARTY: Te Pāti Māori 39.39%

8.05pm

Preliminary results show incumbent Wairiki MP Rawiri Waititi has a commanding lead over Labour’s Toni Boynton in the electorate.

At the Sudima Hotel, there was cheering and shouting for Waititi as the results came up on a TV screen. He arrived at the hotel about 8.05pm to more cheers and clapping.

It’s a tight race for the party vote, with Labour having a slight edge over Te Pāti Māori with nearly a fifth of votes counted.

Earlier:

Three candidates stood in this year’s election for the Waiariki electorate seat; Labour’s Toni Boynton, Vision New Zealand’s Charles Tiki Hunia and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Waititi.

Te Pāti Māori supporters are gathering at the Sudima in Rotorua, with live music and a karakia to welcome attendees. Waititi is present, along with the party’s Rotorua candidate Merepeka Raukawa-Tait.

Boynton is at Whareroa Marae in Tauranga with fellow Labour candidates Jan Tinetti and Pare Taikato.

Te Pāti Māori issued a press release this evening promising to establish a Māori electoral commission after voting issues were reported today.

Rawiri Waititi, co-leader of Te Pāti Māori. Photo / Alex Cairns

Waititi described the situation as “an absolute shambles”.

The Electoral Commission earlier said an issue with the electronic version of the electoral roll that caused delays at some voting booths across the country today had been fixed.

Waiariki electorate

The Waiariki electorate covers the Bay of Plenty and Taupō region. Major population areas include Tauranga, Whakatāne, Rotorua and Taupō.

The winning candidate in the 2020 election was Waititi, who won the seat with 12,389 votes. The seat was won by a tight margin over Labour incumbent Tāmati Coffey.

There was a three-week wait for the special votes separating Waititi from Coffey by 836 votes.

The 2023 candidates

Toni Boynton - Labour

This election is Boynton’s first year competing for the title of Warariki MP.

The Labour representative is currently serving as a councillor on the Whakatāne District Council.

Charles Tiki Hunia - Vision New Zealand

First-time candidate Charles Tiki Hunia has worked as an educator for 13 years, in Rotorua for nearly two decades as a sports co-ordinator, a sports coach, a Māori liaison cultural adviser within the emergency housing sector, a facilitator of the Man Up New Zealand programme and within the community, helping voluntary church projects.

Hunia said he saw emergency housing, health and employment as the biggest issues facing the Waiariki electorate.

Rawiri Waititi - Te Pāti Māori

Waititi has held the MP title for Waiariki for the past three years. He was first elected in 2020 and is fighting to keep his title at this year’s election.

Waititi said he was standing because it was an “absolute privilege to represent the Waiariki for the last three years”.

He saw emergency housing, homelessness and the cost of living as the biggest issues facing the Waiariki electorate.

Michaela Pointon is an NZME reporter based in the Bay of Plenty and was formerly a feature writer.