Thames and Coromandel residents are rushing to ballot boxes today to cast their vote on who should represent their district as mayor, councillors or on the community board.

Voting closes at noon today.

Triennial elections for elected members of most local authorities throughout New Zealand are being conducted, by postal vote, on Saturday, October 8.

For Thames-Coromandel District Council elections, electors are voting for the mayor, the councillors in their ward and community board members in their community board area.

The Thames-Coromandel District operates a first-past-the-post electoral system, which means that a local government candidate needs to get the majority of the votes to win a place at the council or community board.

There are two candidates standing for mayor, 16 candidates opting for seats on council wards and 34 candidates vying for spots on the community board in the 2016 Triennial Elections.

Mayoral candidates include Peter French and Sandra Goudie.

Tony Brljevich is the only candidate for the Colville ward, on which there will be just one councillor elected.

The two seats for the Mercury Bay ward are being contested by Tony Fox, Murray McLean, Len Salt, Debbie Farrell and Lesley McCormick.

Terry Walker, Jan Bartley, Helen McCabe, Chris Cooper are contesting for the two seats on the South Eastern ward.

Three councillors will be elected for the Thames ward contested by Wayne Williscroft, Strat Peters, Murray Wakelin, Craig Cassidy, Rex Simpson and Sally Christie.

Community board candidates for the Coromandel-Colville community board include Jan Autumn, Kim Brett, Colin Caldwell, Peter Pritchard, Keith Stephenson, Jean Ashby, Chris Stark, John Walker and Nigel Strongman who are vying for four seats.

Contesting for the four seats on the Mercury Bay community board include June Bennett, Paul Kelly, Debbie Farrell, Rekha Giri-Percival, Bill McLean, Chris Twemlow, Paul Hopkins and Deli Connell.

On the Tairua-Pauanui community board, Warwick Brooks, Sarah Campbell, Bob Renton, Brent Turner and Gloria Rennie are eyeing the four seats.

The four seats on the Thames community board are being contested by Catherine Croft, Mike Veal, Diane Connors, Clancy Nixon and .

Contesting for the four seats on the Whangamata community board include Masele Siatu'u, Gaye Barton, Ken Coulam, Kay Baker, Angela Hannken, Ryan Thompson and Evelyn Adams.

Voting closes at noon today.