When the deadline for informing the Electoral Commission of nominations passed at noon on Tuesday, there were eight candidates for each of the Dunedin North and Dunedin South electorates.
All of those candidates, representing a total of 10 political parties, will be present at Monday evening's forum organised by The Star and the Otago Chamber of Commerce.
Star editor Helen Speirs said the public forum would be an excellent opportunity for people to get to know their candidates and hear what they thought about local and national issues.
"The election is now definitely to the forefront of everyone's minds," Ms Speirs said.
"Meet the Candidates is the perfect chance to weigh up what the different candidates have to say on the issues of the day. Time permitting, there will also be questions from the floor."
The Meet the Candidates forum will be held in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery auditorium, on Monday, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
Entry is free and is from the Octagon.
Candidates and the public will mingle for the first half hour before the forum proper begins at 7pm.
Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie said the forum would help voters assess the potential impact of policies which parties were now announcing on a daily basis.
"Most people look at it [elections] from the point of view of, what policies will parties put in place that will have an effect on me?" Mr Christie"This forum will give access to that information and those people.
What better opportunity to get an idea who the candidates are and whether you want to vote for them?"Questions and issues would reflect topical concerns and events, he said.
A similar forum run by the Chamber in Balclutha late last week canvassed topics such as wage rates, superannuation, health, education and the environment.
Candidates will not be told the questions they will be asked before the forum.
The candidates attending Monday's Meet the Candidates forum are -Dunedin North: Michael Woodhouse (National), David Clark (Labour), Metiria Turei (Greens), Guy McCallum (Act), Victor Billot (Alliance), Pete George (United Future), Jeremy Noble (Democrats for Social Credit), Julian Crawford (Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party);Dunedin South: Joanne Hayes (National), Clare Curran (Labour), Shane Gallagher (Greens), Kimberly Hannah (Act), Kay Murray (Alliance), Warren Voight (Democrats for Social Credit), Randall Ratana (New Zealand First), and Robert Wansink (Restore All Things in Christ).
