A Prudent Choice for Martinez
Many Americans feel that elections are expensive. When an election is uncontested, voters may feel that funds budgeted for elections could be better spent elsewhere. California Elections Code Section 10229 establishes a procedure for uncontested elections allowing for a Council to appoint a candidate in lieu of an election. That is exactly what Martinez has decided to do.
On August 19, the Martinez City Council voted to appoint Councilmember Debbie McKillop and Mayor Brianne Zorn (that’s me!) to our respective seats rather than put our uncontested races on the November ballot. Did you know that Contra Costa County Elections charges cities for each individual election based on the number of registered voters (i.e., ballots)? For Martinez, avoiding these two uncontested races is expected to save the City between $60,000 to $85,000. That is real money, especially for a city facing a structural deficit.
As a candidate, I would have preferred to see my name on the ballot and receive the majority support of Martinez voters. But there is another responsibility that comes with serving on City Council: being a good steward of public money. If spending the money to have an election has no impact on the outcome, then I argue it is not fiscally responsible to do so. And these savings aren’t limited to just the City. Candidates also avoid the considerable costs of running campaigns: printing mailers, signs, advertising, fundraising, event expenses, and the countless hours volunteers and candidates spend organizing an election campaign.
Voters deserve the opportunity to choose their representatives when there is a choice to be made. Martinez voters will still see other elections on the ballot, including the District 1 Council race that has two candidates who qualified for the election: Jay Howard and Nakenya Allen. But when there isn’t a choice to be made, spending tens of thousands of dollars to print ballots, administer races, and conduct an election with an outcome that is already determined deserves reconsideration.
This decision was not unique to Martinez. Oakley and Lafayette also chose to appoint candidates in uncontested elections this year. Additionally, during the last Martinez election in 2024, the City Council opted to appoint the Treasurer who was running for reelection and was uncontested. I support the fiscally responsible decision these Councils have made, and I think our residents agree that saving taxpayer dollars is the prudent choice.
