With a couple of exceptions in Ben Avon and Emsworth, the November general election ballot features even fewer candidates than the primary ballot -- and not because of primary election decisions. Between withdrawals and the lack of write-in votes, more than a few municipal government seats are without candidates, and contests have been eliminated in others.

Since May, Bellevue has lost two candidates for borough council. Both Julie Treemarchi in the third ward and Anna Daugenbaugh in the first ward, have withdrawn from the election. Both made the decisions to remove their names from the ballot after the Northgate School Board increased the property tax millage rate in June, citing the school board’s action as the reason they did not want to continue running for election.

That leaves no council races to be decided on Bellevue’s ballot in November, as no write-in candidates were listed by the Allegheny Elections Department.

Avalon voters also failed to fill missing nomination slots through write-in votes, with the result being that there still is no candidate for council in the borough’s second ward.

In Ben Avon, at least, the competition could be fierce. There are five candidates running for election to just three seats on the borough council.

Emsworth’s ballot will feature a similar competition, with five candidates for three council seats. Two candidates will appear on both the Republican and Democratic ballots, thanks to write-in votes. Write-ins also saved one Democratic candidate, who lost on his own ballot but was nominated by Republicans.

Both school board races have been narrowed to full slates of cross-nominated candidates, the only decision left to voters being which regular Northgate candidate will get the opportunity to resign a two-year board seat after being elected to a four-year term.

Supervisor races in Kilbuck and Ohio Township remain unopposed, while only one candidate will appear on the ballot for a council seat in Ben Avon Heights.