Danville Cancels Municipal Election

DANVILLE, CA — The Danville Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a resolution canceling the Nov. 8 municipal election because the two incumbents are both running unopposed. At the end of the filing period, only incumbents Karen Stepper and Robert Storer had filed papers.

If there are not more candidates than offices to be elected, the California Elections Code allows a municipality to either appoint the nominated candidates, or hold the election. An election, which would have been a foregone conclusion, would have cost Danville taxpayers anywhere from $64,000 to $96,000, or $2-3 per registered voter. Danville residents will still receive a ballot to vote in several other state and county elections.

The town did not receive any public feedback on the decision despite putting out notices, Town Clerk Marie Sunseri told Patch.

In a meeting Tuesday mroning that Sunseri said lasted roughly four minutes, the council members voted to reappoint Stepper and Storer to four-year terms. Both council members will be formally sworn in at the annual Mayor’s Installation and Community Service Awards on Dec. 6.

Danville also canceled its municipal elections in 2010 and 2016 due to similar circumstances, Sunseri told Patch. In 2022, Lafayette is considering a similar move, and San Pablo has already canceled its municipal election.