California’s new public service crisis: What happens to democracy if nobody shows up?

THE TYPICAL WAY local elections work is that prospective candidates gather signatures of people who “nominate” them to run for office. Their nomination documents are then filed at the local county clerk’s office, where they are counted and certified, and the certified candidate is then placed on the ballot. 

In the last several years it’s become common to see news of deadlines being extended for want of candidate filings, and for municipal elections to be canceled for want of candidates.