Most Old Town residents know by now that only two candidates are still running for City Council District One. The Chamber of Commerce will host a Candidate Forum at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 21, at the Senior Center. (The center is located behind Mary Wilson Library at 707 Electric Ave.)
According to the Seal Beach city attorney, all four original candidates are still on the ballot and any votes cast for them will still count. To win an election in Seal Beach, a council candidate must get 50% of the vote plus one. “If no candidate for an office receives a majority (50% plus 1) of all the votes cast, the two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes at the General Municipal Election shall be the only candidates for such office printed upon the ballots at the Municipal Run-off Election,” according to the Seal Beach City Charter.
“The City Council shall declare the candidate who receives the most votes at the Municipal Run-off Election to be elected to such office,” according to the Charter.
Here’s what the city attorney had to say about the District One race.
“The nomination period for the November 3rd general municipal election closed on August 7th,” wrote Nicholas Ghirelli in a Sept. 10 email.
“Under Elections Code Section 10224, the time period to withdraw a nomination concluded at that time. Mr. Davis and Mr. Smith did not withdraw their nominations before the conclusion of the nomination period,” Ghirelli wrote, referring to former candidates Scott Davis and Matt Smith.
“Therefore, they will remain on the ballot, and votes cast in favor of each candidate will be counted as if they had not suspended their campaigns. This means that votes cast in favor of either Mr. Davis or Mr. Smith will affect whether any candidate receives a majority of all votes cast at the general municipal election on November 3rd,” Ghirelli wrote.