The series, organised by the Otago Daily Times and Otago Chamber of Commerce, starts in Balclutha. Clutha District mayoral candidates will speak on Tuesday, August 27, at the Town and Country Club.
Two days later, on Thursday, those seeking to be mayor of the Waitaki District get their chance at The Inkbox at the Oamaru Opera House.
Both meetings start at 5.30pm.
The Dunedin forum is on Tuesday, September 10, at 4pm in the Hutton Theatre at Otago Museum.
The Queenstown Lakes forum is being held on October 1 at the Queenstown Memorial Centre, starting at 6.30pm.
The Central Otago District forums will be held on October 2. The first will be held at the Otago Polytechnic's Molyneux restaurant in Cromwell at noon, and the second at the Centennial Court Motor Inn in Alexandra at 5.30pm.
Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie said the forums were an opportunity for voters to hear from those who wanted to lead their communities and to ask them questions.
Such meetings were an important function of a democracy, as was the opportunity for anyone to stand for office.
Mr Christie expected the issue of regional economic development to be a key election issue.
