With just four days to go, about 37 percent of the 12,000 eligible sheep farmers have voted on a proposal to bring back a compulsory wool levy.
Farmers are being asked in the referendum whether they would support the resurrection of the levy which they dumped about five years ago.
It would be used for activities such as communication, education and innovation that are not currently funded.
The chair of the wool levy promotion group, Gisborne farmer Sandra Faulkner, said the response is encouraging but is looking for a convincing result.
"Traditionally voter turnout is not great across our sector, so I think we've had an excellent turnout to date, but we do need a really robust result.
"We have to get 50 percent across the line across the two tests of one farmer one vote, and the weighted sheep numbers. That's 50 percent of those eligible voters who vote."
Voting closes at 2 pm on Friday.
