The 11 major party candidates in the upcoming special election to replace former Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher have been invited to participate in an Aug. 11 round-table at Saint Mary’s College.

The League of Voters of Diablo Valley, the Contra Costa Times and Saint Mary’s College are sponsoring the event. Times political writer and columnist Lisa Vorderbrueggen will moderate the discussion.

The free event will be held on the college campus in Moraga at LeFevre Hall Soda Center . (Click here for driving directions to the campus.) The public will have an opportunity during the round-tables to submit questions for the candidates.

The Democrats’ segment of the program begins at 7 p.m., followed by the Republican candidates at 8:15 p.m.

The Sept. 1 special primary election is a blanket primary, where all candidates regardless of partisan affiliation will appear on the same ballot.

If one candidate receives a majority of the vote in the special primary, he or she will win the seat outright.

Given the large number of candidates in the field, a primary win appears unlikely, which will trigger a Nov. 3 run-off among the top-vote getters in each party.

In addition to the 11 Democrats and Republicans, one candidate each from the Green, Peace and Freedom and American Independent parties have qualified for the ballot. Unless a candidate wins in the primary, each of the minor party candidates will advance to the run-off.

The open seat in the 10th Congressional District occurred after the U.S. Senate confirmed Tauscher in late June as undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security.