Voter turnout for this year's Thames-Coromandel District Council elections is currently higher than the level of 2010 where a final turnout of 61 per cent was achieved.

Approximately 23 per cent, or 5300 people out of 22,879 registered voters, have so far returned their ballot papers since the voting period opened on September 16.

Thames-Coromandel District Council says 23 per cent of registered Coromandel voters have returned their ballot papers since the voting period opened on September 16. Photo: TCDC

Of the district's five wards, 24 per cent of registered voters (550 of 2288) in Coromandel-Colville have voted, 24.2 per cent (1575 of 6508) in Mercury Bay, 21.5 per cent (1725 of 8039) in Thames, 26.7 per cent (625 of 2345) in Tairua-Pauanui and 22.3 per cent (825 of 3699) in Whangamata.

Council says all registered voters should have received their ballot papers in the mail by now.

'It's your last chance to put your democratic superpowers to use at the local level for the next three years, so make sure you return your votes by post or to one of the ballot boxes at all our council offices by 12pm on October 8 at the latest.”

In total there are 52 candidates vying for position on the council, as either mayor, councillor, or community board members. Only one candidate has been elected unopposed, Tony Brljevich, councillor for Coromandel-Colville. He was also elected unopposed in 2013.

'The mayor's seat, the remaining seven councillor seats in our other three wards and the 20 community board seats in our five community board areas are all contested,” says council.

To view profiles of the candidate standing in this year's Thames-Coromandel District Council elections visit: www.tcdc.govt.nz/nominations2016

If you have not received your voting papers, but believe you should have, contact the Electoral Office on 0800 922 822 or check council's elections FAQ web page for more information on voting eligibility.

If you're a resident of the Thames-Coromandel District, to vote you need to be on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll. You can check if you are enrolled by visiting the Electoral Commission website.

If you own a property in the Coromandel but usually live somewhere else, you may still be able to vote in the local elections here as well as your home area, and to do so, you must to enrol on the Ratepayer Electoral Roll.

If you're not enrolled you can do it online, or get an enrolment form from any New Zealand Post Shop and by calling the Electoral Office for a special vote on 0800 922 822.