John Oliver’s campaign for puking mullet bird delays New Zealand vote for favorite feathered friend

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Vote checkers in New Zealand have been so overwhelmed by foreign interference that they’ve been forced to delay announcing a winner. The contest is to choose the nation’s favorite bird and the interference is from comedian John Oliver. The annual event by conservation group Forest and Bird is held to raise awareness about the plight of the nation’s native birds. This year, the contest was named Bird of the Century to mark the group’s centennial. Oliver discovered a loophole in the rules, which allowed anybody with a valid email address to cast a vote. So he went all-out in a humorous campaign for his favored bird, the pūteketeke. The conservation group said they now plan to announce a winner Wednesday.