Thirteen candidates will battle for eight Carterton District Council seats in the upcoming elections, while incumbent Carterton Mayor Ron Mark is standing unopposed for the mayoral chains.
First-term mayor Mr Mark was elected to the position in 2010 with 1982 votes.
Carterton District councillors in May last year did away with rural and urban wards, for which there had been respectively four candidates for three vacancies and eight candidates for five vacancies, said Milan Hautler, Carterton District Council planning and regulatory manager.
Ruth Carter, Bill Knowles, Barbara Durbin, Eline Brazendale and Brian Poulsen were successfully elected to the urban ward seats and John Booth, Grant Smith and Jill Greathead were elected to the rural ward seats.
Barbara Durbin and Grant Smith will not seek re-election this year, while newcomer nominees include the Rev Jenny Chalmers, Juliana Vennine, Mike Ashby, Rob Harris, Greg Lang, Bridget Evans and Mike Palmers.