CALABASAS, Los Angeles County — October 24, 2026. Residents checking their November ballot may wonder why a City Council race does not appear in Calabasas. The city has already decided those seats without a contested municipal vote: after only the three incumbents qualified for three available positions, the council voted 5–0 on August 19 to appoint them to new four-year terms.
Who was appointed?
According to the city’s August 21 mayoral newsletter, the appointees are incumbent councilmembers Ed Albrecht, James Bozajian and David Shapiro. The newsletter states no additional candidate filed for the available seats by the end of the nominations process. It is not accurate to claim the appointees received votes in a contested November election; their new terms came from a council appointment procedure expressly available under California law.
Why did the city cancel the vote?
California Elections Code §10229 permits a city to appoint qualified nominees rather than hold an election when the relevant statutory requirements are satisfied and the number of candidates does not exceed the number of open positions. Calabasas staff said required notices were published on August 13 and August 14 and the procedural conditions had been met. The mayoral newsletter estimated the cancellation would save around $100,000 in costs associated with participation in the county ballot.
Does this cancel November 3 voting for Calabasas residents?
No. The local council decision concerns specific Calabasas City Council seats. Eligible residents may still have county, statewide and federal contests and ballot measures on their November 3, 2026 ballots. Voting deadlines, early voting sites and ballot details should be checked with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
Why local accountability still matters
Even without a contested race for those seats, city residents can follow council agendas, committee appointments, budgeting and decisions involving planning, parks and public safety. New residents of the Craftsman’s Corner neighborhood, whose annexation became official in August, can also check how city governance and public meetings now apply to them. An uncontested election does not erase the importance of open council meetings and financial oversight.
This article is separate from our report on Calabasas’s 2026 annexation. Sources: City of Calabasas Mayor’s Weekly Newsletter dated August 21, 2026; California Elections Code §10229; Los Angeles County elections authority. California58 does not endorse any appointed councilmember.
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