The race is on for spots on Whangarei District Council with six fighting for the mayoralty and 44 candidates nominated for the district's six wards.
Five were standing for both mayor and a ward, putting the total number of individual candidates at 45 - down on the last election in 2013, when 49 had a crack at the district's leadership positions.
The postal ballot will be held on October 8 and in Whangarei six people are contesting the mayoralty, with incumbent Sheryl Mai challenged by sitting councillor Stuart Bell, David Blackley from Go Whangarei, Ash Holwell and Matt Keene from TogetherTahi and independent Kay Brittenden.
The release of the provisional candidate lists follow concern yesterday across New Zealand that not enough candidates would step up. Some wards in Auckland, Otago, Christchurch, Tauranga and Otago either did not have enough candidates, or had candidates that would stand uncontested as of Thursday.
But yesterday a flurry came forward, reflecting 2013's pattern, where 44 per cent of candidates nationwide filed their documents in the final two days.