Nomination lists have been finalised for this year's local elections for the three Eastern Bay district councils and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
The nomination list has a mix of both new and current candidates.
Voting papers will be sent out to Eastern Bay voters next month and must be returned before 12pm on Saturday, October 8th.
All three Eastern Bay district councils and the Regional Council will use the first past the post electoral system to elect the candidates.
WHAKATĀNE
The seven candidates for Mayor, includes incumbent Judy Turner, councillors, Lesley Immink, John Pullar, Victor Luca and Nandor Tanczos as well as Jacquelyn Elkington and Talei Bryant.
19 will contest the six general and two maori ward seats, as Toni Boynton was elected unopposed for the Kapu te rangi Māori Ward seat.
Murupara and Taneatua Community Board elections saw a number of candidates elected onto the boards.
Ken Bannan, Tina Barnett, James Goldsmith, Mere Kuia McLean, Irma Prentice and Ngapera Rangiaho were elected unopposed to the Murupara Community Board since there's the same number of candidates as vacancies
Talei Bryant, Luke Ruiterman, Honey Thrupp and Diane Yalden were also elected as members of the Tāneatua Community Board.
A by-election will be held in February next year, to fill the other two seats on the Tāneatua community board.
If Bryant is elected Mayor or Councillor, it would create an additional vacancy in Tāneatua Community Board.
ŌPŌTIKI
It's a four-way race for Mayor, with candidates Lyn Riesterer, councillors David Moore and Louis Rapihana as well as Steve Collins.
Rapihana will also run for Coast ward, alongside Maxie Kemara.
Courtney Andrews, Tom Brooks, Shona Browne, Barry Howe, Maude Maxwell, Spike Collier and Kingi Bruce Williams will run for the three Opotiki ward seats.
Collier, Allen Waenga, Tiaki Parata and Linda Steel were all elected unopposed onto the Coast Community Board.
Steve Nelson, Debi Hocart, Curley Keno and Dean William Peterson are running for the two Waioeka-Waiōtahe-Otara Ward seats.
A non-binding poll will be held on whether the Ōpōtiki District Council should establish Māori wards.
KAWERAU
It's a different story in Kawerau, with Faylene Tunui the only candidate to put their name down for the mayoralty and has been elected unopposed.
Tunui takes over from Malcolm Campbell, who's running for the two Eastern Bay seats on the regional council.
The race for Kawerau councillor is an open field as 12 people will contest the election for the 8 council seats.
The field includes councillors, Warwick Godfrey, Carolyn Ion, Berice Julian, Sela Kingi, Aaron Rangihika and Rex Savage.
Other candidates are Rowena Brooking, Louise Hiwarau, Craig McLean, Justin Ross, Vivienne Wilson and Vannessa Worrell-Kurth
REGIONAL COUNCIL
Campbell, former Whakatane councillor Russell Orr, regional council chair, Doug Leeder, Mawera Karetai and Sarah van der Boom are the five candidates going for the two Eastern Bay of Plenty General Constituency seats.
Toi Kai Rakau Iti has been elected un-opposed for the Kohi seat, which covers the entire Eastern Bay rohe (area).