Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026
Carmel-by-the-Sea Mayor & City Council Election 2026
3 of 5 council seats are on the ballot, with 5 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check
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How to vote · 11 days left
Election Day (Nov 3): the election office's noticeThese links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.
Mayor
1 seatCity Council
Vote for up to 2- Alissandra DramovIncumbentCouncilmember; term expires December 202610sourced
- Stefan KarapetkovCarmel-by-the-Sea planning commissioner since 2023 and an engineer who works in the technology industry.5sourced
- Bobby RichardsFormer Carmel-by-the-Sea councilmember (2016 to 2024) and former Carmel Chamber of Commerce board member. He has also served on the Carmel Residents Association board.4sourced
Voters elect a mayor for a two-year term (two candidates) and two at-large councilmembers for four-year terms (three candidates). Mayor Dale Byrne and Councilmember Jeff Baron, whose terms end in December 2026, are not on the ballot.
Also on your Nov 3 ballot
We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.
- Governor
- Xavier Becerra · Democratic
- Steve Hilton · Republican
- Also statewideLieutenant Governor · Secretary of State · Controller · Treasurer · Attorney General · Insurance Commissioner · Superintendent of Public Instruction · Board of Equalization Member
- Statewide measures14 on the ballot: the state's official explanations
Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.
Already on the council, not on the ballot
Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.
Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.
What the next council decides
01Hotel tax (Measure M)3 sourced facts
Where it standsMeasure M asks voters to add a 2% hotel tax to the existing 10%, for a total of 12%.
What's on the tableHow any new hotel tax revenue is spent on streets, sidewalks, beach erosion, wildfire preparedness and trees.
- Measure M would raise about $1,900,000 a year, with the total 12% tax raising about $11,700,000 a year. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
- The council voted 5-0 on June 2, 2026 to place the hotel tax measure on the ballot. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jun 2, 2026
- Councilmembers said the city needs more revenue to keep up with $100 million in deferred maintenance. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jun 2, 2026
02Sales tax (Measure N)3 sourced facts
Where it standsMeasure N asks voters to raise the city's sales tax from 1.50% to 1.875% until ended by voters.
What's on the tableHow any added sales tax revenue is budgeted.
- Measure N would provide about $1,800,000 a year in additional revenue. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
- The council voted 4-1 on June 2, 2026 to place the sales tax measure on the ballot, with Councilmember Dramov voting no. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jun 2, 2026
- The measure language says the sales tax revenue will be subject to the city's annual independent financial audit. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jun 2, 2026
03Housing plan3 sourced facts
Where it standsIn July 2026 the council adopted an amendment to the 2023-2031 Housing Element on a 3-2 vote.
What's on the tableHow the amended housing programs are carried out, including any housing on city-owned sites.
- The amendment's core strategies include hotel-to-residential, downtown mixed-income, downtown live/work, ADU and religious facilities programs. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jul 7, 2026
- Councilmembers Buder, Delves and Dramov voted yes; Councilmember Baron and Mayor Byrne voted no. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jul 7, 2026
- The Planning Commission voted 5-0 in June 2026 to recommend the amendment. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jun 10, 2026
04Tourism marketing2 sourced facts
Where it standsIn July 2026 the council voted 4-1 to fund See Monterey's marketing request of $292,947 for 2026-27.
What's on the tableWhether to keep funding regional tourism marketing in future budgets.
- In June 2026 the council adopted the 2026-27 budget with See Monterey marketing set to $0 and a discussion set for July. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jun 2, 2026
- Councilmember Baron voted no on the July funding; the other four members voted yes. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jul 6, 2026
05Housing on city-owned lots1 sourced fact
Where it standsMayor Byrne said he supports exploring housing on municipal properties that include parking.
What's on the tableWhether to seek proposals for housing on city-owned sites.
- Mayor Byrne said he supports exploring housing developments on municipal properties that include parking, or releasing a request for proposals for those sites. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea · Jul 7, 2026
2 notes on these statements
If Hans Buder is elected mayor, his council seat would become vacant; Monterey County Weekly says it would likely be filled by appointment. Monterey County Weekly · Oct 8, 2026
Monterey County Weekly's editorial board endorsed David Boland for mayor and Alissandra Dramov and Bobby Richards for City Council. Monterey County Weekly · Oct 8, 2026
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Who matches you?
Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.
1. Should Carmel raise its hotel tax from 10% to 12% (Measure M)?
2. Should Carmel plan for new homes downtown, as in the 2026 Housing Element amendment?
3. Should the city pay See Monterey to market the area to visitors?
4. Should Carmel build workforce housing on city-owned parking lots?
Key dates
- Vote-by-mail ballots mailedCity of Carmel-by-the-SeaOct 5, 2026
- Last day to register to voteCity of Carmel-by-the-SeaOct 19, 2026
- Election DayCity of Carmel-by-the-SeaNov 3, 2026
- Official canvass (certification of results)City of Carmel-by-the-SeaDec 3, 2026
The seat math
1 stay (not up this year): Bob Delves3 on this ballot
5 council seats. The council decides by a 3-vote majority.
- The City Council has five members: the Mayor and four Councilmembers. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Councilmembers and the Mayor are elected at-large; the Mayor serves a two-year term and Councilmembers serve four-year terms. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
- The November 3, 2026 election fills one Mayor seat and two Councilmember seats. City of Carmel-by-the-Sea
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