One of three candidates challenging incumbent Alex Familton for the Waitaki mayoralty, Mr Burrell announced more than a month ago he intended to stand.
Then he found he was ineligible because he did not have New Zealand citizenship, emigrating to New Zealand from England in 1986.
Normally, it would have taken up to four months to obtain citizenship - counting his mayoral bid out - but the Department of Internal Affairs rushed his application through.
His citizenship certificate arrived with Waitaki's electoral officer Debbi Miall to validate his nomination at 11am yesterday - just an hour before nominations closed.
Other candidates standing against Mr Familton - Oamaru man Bruce Cawley and deputy mayor Gary Kircher - did not have such a tortuous route with their nominations.
Mr Burrell, who was in Christchurch yesterday, told the Otago Daily Times he found out about the problem after he announced he was going to stand, but was "determined to make it".
"I was at a Rotary [Club] meeting and someone I was talking to said he was planning to stand, but couldn't because he was not a New Zealand citizen."
Mr Burrell, who turned 52 on Wednesday, realised that also applied to him.
About a month ago, he wrote to the Department of Internal Affairs and was initially told it would take three to four months to process.
A "very helpful person" phoned back and said they could hasten it along if he could prove "special circumstances".
On Thursday, he put his nomination in for the mayoralty, subject to citizenship being approved.
Yesterday, after nominations closed in the Waitaki local body elections, the biggest interest was in the Oamaru ward for the district council with 18 candidates seeking six positions, including two former councillors, Bruce Albiston (1995 to 2001) and Gus Young (1998 to 2004).
Not seeking re-election in the Oamaru ward were sitting councillors Peter Twiss (elected in 2001) and Cr Kircher (2001), who is standing for mayor.
Cr Struan Munro, first elected in 1992, withdrew his nomination for the Ahuriri ward yesterday, leaving Omarama businessman and Ahuriri Community Board chairman Craig Dawson to be elected unopposed.
The only other body which will not need an election is the Waihemo Community Board, which had five nominations for six vacancies.
In contrast to Waitaki, Waimate Mayor John Coles was re-elected unopposed, but Timaru Mayor Janie Annear faces a challenge from four others.
Mackenzie Mayor John O'Neal decided not to seek re-election, and three candidates have stepped up to fill the gap - two sitting councillors Graeme Page and Dave Pullen and council employee Claire Barlow.
Cr Page is also standing as councillor in the Opuha ward while Cr Pullen is not seeking re-election in the Pukaki ward.
