Voters in the Waihemo ward of the Waitaki district will have another election early next year to fill a vacancy on their community board.
When nominations for the Waitaki District Council elections closed a week ago, there was only one for the Waihemo ward councillor, sitting councillor Kathy Dennison being re-elected unopposed.
Waihemo ward voters will not vote in October's election for a councillor, only for mayor.
However, there were only four nominations for the five vacancies on the Waihemo Community Board.
Waitaki electoral officer Debbi Miall said filling the board's vacancy early next year with a by-election would cost "in the thousands of dollars".
The complete process would have to be followed, opening the electoral roll in the Waihemo ward for any eligible voters who shifted in from the end of next month to the date of the by-election, calling for nominations and, if more than one were received, holding a postal vote.
In the 2007 election in the Waihemo ward, Alex Familton was re-elected unopposed as the Waihemo councillor but also won the mayoralty, so had to stand down as the councillor.
That prompted a by-election in the Waihemo ward in which Cr Dennison beat two other candidates.
Cr Dennison then had to stand down as an elected Waihemo Community Board member, prompting another by-election between five candidates in which Diane Curtis was elected.
It was estimated in 2007 the by-elections cost about $11,000 each.
