NORTH ATTLEBORO - More than half of the town's 135 Representative Town Meeting seats will be up for grabs at April's town election.

Normally, the terms of one-third of RTM members expire at each annual town election, or 45 seats. However, due to resignations and vacant seats, 78 seats will be available this year.

While one precinct - Precinct 3 - has only the standard five seats available each year, Precinct 4 is in the unusual circumstance of having all 15 of its RTM seats available this year. That precinct, which mostly includes the area around Falls Pond, has historically been one of the most difficult to fill.

April marks the end of a three-year phased in plan to reduce the number of RTM members representing each of the town's nine precincts from 18 to 15 members.

RTM is the town's legislative body. It deliberates on everything from the town budget and capital expenditures to bylaw proposals and updates. It meets about 12 times a year - mainly during June and October. Potential candidates can take out nomination papers at the town's election office beginning Jan. 7. Nomination papers will be available until Feb. 10.

Candidates must collect at least 10 signatures from registered voters living within their precinct and return the nomination papers to the town's election office no later than Feb. 13. Seats will be filled at the April 7 town election.

Here is a listing of the available seats in each precinct, listed by term length and the members whose terms expire in April:

Precinct 1 has 14 seats available, consisting of five three-year terms, five two-year terms and four one-year terms. Current members with expiring terms are Patrick McDonald, Charles Mottinger and Robert Pope.

Precinct 2 has seven seats available, consisting of five three-year terms and two one-year terms. Members with expiring terms are Norman Achin, Eric Bristow, Sandra Coyle, Richard Peterson, Darryl Sakach and Walter St. Lawrence.

Precinct 3 has five three-year seats available. Members with expiring terms are Amanda Adams, Charles Blais Jr., Christopher Bolton, Richard Houle, Stacey Nassaney and Steven Todaro.

Precinct 4 has 15 seats available, consisting of five three-year terms, five two-year terms and five one-year terms. Members with expiring terms are Virginia Betts, Pauline Carlson, Timothy Coyle, Donald Pomes, Mary Thimot and Richard Thimot.

Precinct 5 has 10 seats available, consisting of five three-year terms, three two-year terms and two one-year terms. Members with expiring terms are Christopher Cronin III, Paul Follett, Joan Meilan and Leonard Pierce.

Precinct 6 has six seats available, consisting of five three-year terms and one two-year term. Members with expiring terms are Rosanne Leavitt, David MacDonald, Jonathan Maslen, Patrick McMorran, Janice Meierdiercks, Mary Signoriello and Donald Twedt.

Precinct 7 has eight seats available, consisting of five three-year terms, one two-year term and two one-year terms. Members with expiring terms are Donald Corliss III, Diane Finnegan, Francis Finnegan, Pamela Holden, Jacqueline Rabuffo, Alana Sinno and Paul Wallace Sr. Precinct 8 has seven seats available, consisting of five three-year terms, one two-year term and one one-year term. Members with expiring terms are Cindy Bergevine, David Chee, Patricia Dinan-Wood, Johanna Grealish, Christopher Mantia, Katherine McNally, Christopher Nolan and Paula Parker.

Precinct 9 has six seats available, consisting of five three-year terms and one one-year term. Members with expiring terms are Penny Burgess, Julie Cormier, William Landry, Michael Matros, Robert Norton, Wayne Patterson and Mary Yankee.