Voting has opened in the by-election for a seat at the Invercargill City Council table.

Nine candidates are seeking election for the one position, left vacant following the resignation of Deputy Mayor Toni Biddle last year.

Deputy Electoral Officer Michael Morris said everyone enrolled to vote should start seeing their voting papers arrive in their mailboxes this week.

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“Voting is easy, you can fill out your ballot and send it back to us in the post, or you can pop in to the Invercargill City Council Civic Administration Building in Esk Street, the Invercargill Public Library on Dee Street, or the Bluff Service Centre in Gore Street, Bluff to drop it in a ballot box,” Mr Morris said.

Information about each of the nominees is available on the council's website. The Southland App has also put three key questions to each candidate and their answers can be found under our ICC By-election button.

Mr Morris said if anyone had forgotten to enrol to vote, if they damaged or lost their voting papers, or if they were enrolled to vote on the unpublished roll, they could still cast a special vote.

“Given that we had a general election just last year, then most people who are eligible to vote will be enrolled correctly. If you received a letter confirming you were enrolled for the general election, then you should receive voting papers for this by-election," he said.

“We ask that you wait a week or two for your voting papers to arrive. If you don’t see them appear in your mail box, get in touch with us or pop in to see us and we can arrange for you to make a special vote,” Mr Morris said.

Voting papers can be returned via the post until February 12. If you take a little longer to decide who you’d like to vote for, it’s best to drop off your ballots from then on.

Voting closes at midday on February 17.