As expected, David Shearer of the Labour Party, won the Mt Albert by-election yesterday. He received 63% of the vote. This was 12,615 votes. Melissa Lee of the National Party received only 3,426, the Green Party candidate received 2,418 while the ACT candidate received 943. Only 45% of the people who were on the voting roll in the Mt Albert electorate voted. Most people did not bother, maybe because they knew that Shearer was likely to win. Mt Albert has always been a Labour electorate, ever since this electorate was formed in 1946.

The by-election was held because Helen Clark, who was the Mt Albert MP, resigned to take up her job with the United Nations Development Program.

David Shearer cannot take up his position as MP until the Special Votes have been counted. This should take about 10 days. Special votes are usually made by people who are not at home on the voting day. They can vote in another place instead.

To find out more about this by-election, see March 5th 2009.