TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Cristal McDonald, City Clerk
PREPARED BY: Kimberly Ramirez, Deputy City Clerk
SUBJECT:
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Consideration of Resolution Nos. 26-4952 to 26-4954 Calling a General Municipal Election to be held on November 3, 2026, Requesting Consolidation with the County of Riverside, and Adopting Regulations Pertaining to Candidate Statements
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ABSTRACT
Under the provisions of Murrieta Municipal Code §1.20, the City of Murrieta’s (City) General Municipal Elections are held on the first Tuesday, after the first Monday of November in each even-numbered year for the election of City Council Members and for such other purposes as the City Council prescribes. As such, pursuant to California Elections Code §10403, the City Clerk is requesting the City Council call the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election for City Council Districts 1, 2, and 5, which includes a request for consolidating with the County of Riverside, Registrar of Voters for the Statewide General Election, and direction from the City Council pertaining to candidate statements.
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 26-4952: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Calling for the Holding of a General Municipal Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for the Election of Certain Officers as Required by the Provisions of the Laws of the State of California Relating to General Law Cities; and Other Election Matters As Required By Law;
Adopt Resolution No. 26-4953: A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Requesting the Board of Supervisors of Riverside County to Consolidate a General Municipal Election to be Held on November 3, 2026, with the Statewide General Election to be Held on the Date Pursuant to §10403 of the California Election Code; and Other Election Matters as Required by Law;
Adopt Resolution No. 26-4954A (OPTION A): A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Adopting Regulations for Candidates for Elective Office, Pertaining to, and Costs of, Candidate Statements Submitted to the Voters at the Consolidated General Municipal Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to include candidate statements not exceeding 200 words and requiring candidates to pay for the costs associated with candidate statements;
OR
Adopt Resolution No. 26-4954B (OPTION B): A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Adopting Regulations for Candidates for Elective Office, Pertaining to, and Costs of, Candidate Statements Submitted to the Voters at the Consolidated General Municipal Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 400 words and requiring candidates to pay for the costs associated with candidate statements; and
Direct the City Clerk to fulfill any administrative requirements in accordance with the law.
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PRIOR ACTION/VOTE
On February 17, 2004, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 295-04, providing for Municipal Elections to be held on the first Tuesday, following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years (Vote: 5-0).
On August 1, 2017, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 522-17, changing the City Council District voting system from at-large to by-district (Vote 3-1-1).
On March 1, 2022, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 572-22, adopting revised City Council District boundaries (Vote: 5-0).
On September 5, 2023, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 594-23, incorporating the Murrieta Hills Specific Plan into District 1 (Vote: 5-0).
On June 18, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution Nos. 24-4763 to 24-4765, calling the November 5, 2024, General Municipal Election for District Nos. 3 and 4 (Vote: 4-0-1).
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
This item aligns with the City Council goal of maintaining a high performing organization that values fiscal sustainability, transparency, accountability and organizational efficiency relating to an administrative priority. This item falls under the authority of Murrieta Municipal Code §1.20, which provides the timing of Murrieta municipal elections for the election of City Council Members and for such other purposes as the City Council prescribes.
BACKGROUND
In accordance with Murrieta Municipal Code (MMC) §1.20, Elections, the general municipal elections for the City of Murrieta (City) shall be held on the first Tuesday, after the first Monday of November in each even-numbered year. Therefore, the City's next General Municipal Election (Election) shall be held on November 3, 2026. Terms for City Council Members are defined as four (4) years, and elected municipal officers shall serve no more than two (2) consecutive terms in office.
In 2017, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 522-17, changing the election systems for City Council Members from at-large to by-District. As a result, the November 6, 2018, General Municipal Election began the first phase of the City's transition to District-based City Council Member elections. This included Districts 1, 2, and 5. The November 3, 2020, General Municipal Election completed the City's transition to District-based City Council Member elections for Districts 3 and 4.
On March 1, 2022, in compliance with the Fair and Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities and Political Subdivisions (FAIR MAPS) Act, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 572-22, which revised boundaries for all Districts. However, the existing terms for each District representative remained the same. On December 7, 2021, the City Council approved the Murrieta Hills Specific Plan (MHSP) in unincorporated and uninhabited territory north of the City. Subsequently, the Local Agency Formation Commission approved the annexation of the territory bounded by the MHSP into the City. As such, Ordinance No. 594-23 was adopted, incorporating the MHSP into District 1.
The California Elections Code (EC) §14052, known as the California Voter Participation Rights Act, provides that political subdivisions shall not hold an election other than on a statewide election date if holding an election on a nonconcurrent date has previously resulted in a significant decrease in voter turnout. In addition, EC §10400 provides that whenever two or more elections are called to be held on the same day, in the same territory, or in territory that is in part the same, they may be consolidated upon the order of the governing body.
Accordingly, City Council representatives for Districts 1, 2 and 5 will be elected for a term of four (4) years at the November 3, 2026, election.
The County of Riverside Consolidation Process
To commence the consolidation process, the County of Riverside requests that before June 26, 2026, the City must submit to the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors and the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk: 1) a resolution calling and giving notice of the November 3, 2026, Election to elect three City Council Members for Districts 1, 2, and 5; 2) request consolidation with the Statewide General Election; and 3) set regulations pertaining to the candidate statements:
• Resolution No. 26-4952 (Attachment No. 1): A Resolution of The City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Calling for the Holding of a General Municipal Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for the Election of Certain Officers as Required By the Provisions of the Laws of the State of California Relating to General Law Cities; and, Other Election Matters As Required By Law
According to EC §12001, the local agency's governing body shall issue a proclamation or resolution calling the election. Adopting Resolution No. 26-4952 meets that obligation. This resolution also provides the procedure to resolve a tie vote. EC §15651 provides that in the event that two (2) or more persons receive an equal amount of votes and the highest number of votes, upon the canvass of returns or recount by the court, the City Council can determine a tie vote by lot; or by conducting a special runoff election involving those candidates who received an equal number of votes and the highest number of votes.
Historically, in the event of a tie vote, the City Council has opted to resolve a tie vote by lot, and this method is included in Resolution No. 26-4952. If the City Council would prefer to hold a special runoff election in the case of tied votes, an alternate resolution and an estimate of cost would be presented for City Council consideration at a later City Council meeting.
• Resolution No. 26-4953 (Attachment No. 2): A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Requesting the Board of Supervisors of Riverside County to Consolidate a General Municipal Election to be Held on November 3, 2026, With the Statewide General Election to be Held on the Date Pursuant to §10403 of the California Election Code; and, Other Election Matters as Required by Law.
EC §10403, in part, provides that when an election is called by a city, at least 88-days before the date of the election, the city must file with the Board of Supervisors, and provide a copy with the elections official, a resolution of its governing board that 1) requests that the city election be consolidated with the statewide election; 2) sets forth the exact form of the question, proposition, or office to be voted upon at the election, as it is to appear on the ballot; and 3) acknowledges that the consolidated election will be held and conducted with procedures same as statewide election (EC §10418). The resolution requesting consolidation shall be adopted and filed at the same time as the adoption of the resolution calling the election. Furthermore, the names of candidates to appear on the ballot shall be filed with the county elections official no later than 81-days before the election. Adopting Resolution No. 26-4953 meets all applicable obligations.
• Resolution No. 26-4954 (Attachment No. 3): A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Murrieta, California, Adopting Regulations for Candidates for Elective Office, Pertaining to, and Costs of, Candidate Statements Submitted to the Voters at the Consolidated General Municipal Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to include candidate statements not exceeding 200 words OR 400 words and requiring candidates pay for the costs associated with candidate statements.
The final resolution associated with the consolidation process pertains to regulations and costs associated with candidate statements. According to EC §13307, each candidate for elective office may prepare a candidate statement. The statement may include the name, age, and occupation of the candidate and a brief description, of no more than 200 words, of the candidate's education and qualifications expressed by the candidate themself. However, the local agency's governing body may authorize an increase in the limitations on words for the statement from 200 to 400 words.
It is optional for each candidate to submit a candidate statement. However, if the candidate chooses to have a statement included in the sample ballot, Resolution No. 26-4954 stipulates that the candidate pays the costs involved in the form of a deposit when the nomination papers are filed. The County of Riverside will provide final costs following the Election; however, based on County estimates, the deposit for printing each statement will be approximately $600 for 200 words or $800 for 400 words. In addition, the County of Riverside has provided an option for a distribution of an electronic statement only, which will not be included in the Voter Guide, for the cost of $260. The electronic statement will be distributed to voters who have opted to share their email information with the County of Riverside at the time of registration.
The City Clerk is seeking direction on word count. Therefore, Resolution No. 26-4954 presents Option A or Option B. The only difference between the two options is the word count.
With consolidation, the County of Riverside administers the Election, and the City Clerk is the City's Local Elections Official. As the Local Elections Official, the City Clerk retains certain obligations. Those obligations include, but are not limited to, public noticing, issuing and accepting nomination papers, candidate statement verification, and handling of Fair Political Practice Commission (FPPC) filings.
Nomination Period
Division 10, Part 2, Article 2. Nomination of Candidates, of the California EC provides the nomination and nomination filing method. Based on EC §§10220 and 10224, the nomination period for the Election opens on Monday, July 13, 2026, 8 AM and closes on Friday, August 7, 2026, 5 PM. All potential candidates will pull and file nomination papers with the City’s local Elections Official/City Clerk during normal office hours, Monday through Friday, 8 AM -5 PM.
If an incumbent does not file, pursuant to EC §10225, the period for the district the incumbent did not file for is extended to Wednesday, August 12, 2026, 5 PM. Incumbents may not file during this extended period. The issuance and filing of nomination papers can be complex. To ensure clear instructions, the City Clerk will provide potential candidates with a 45-60-minute overview of the process during the nomination period. To better assist, the City Clerk will also provide an electronic candidate handbook. This overview will include issuing nomination papers, qualifying as a candidate, FPPC filings, candidate statements, and ballot designation regulations, etc. Therefore, the City Clerk will see potential candidates seeking to pull nomination papers by appointment.
Election Outreach and Education
As the City's Local Elections Official, the City Clerk is responsible for ensuring the Election process is conducted in a neutral, impartial, and transparent manner. The City Clerk does not advocate for or against any candidate or elected official. Election-related outreach, communications, and public assistance efforts are conducted solely to provide factual information, promote awareness, and assist candidates and residents in understanding election requirements and processes.
As part of Election outreach, the City Clerk will hold informational sessions to provide individuals with information on the nomination process, important dates, and general civic engagement. The City Clerk’s Election webpage will be updated periodically as part of general outreach, providing resources and dates for those interested. In addition, the City Clerk will conduct a social media campaign and various social media outlets, targeting, when feasible, residents in Districts 1, 2 and 5.
To encourage voter participation, the City Clerk held a pilot courtesy drive-through ballot drop-off for the June 2026 Primary Election. Due to the pilot's success, the City Clerk Department intends to coordinate an additional courtesy ballot drop-off for the November 2026 Election.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City Clerk's Office has a $130,000 budget for Election services in the Fiscal Year 2026/27 Operating Budget, under account number 1102400-63520. The County of Riverside estimates the Election costs for the three districts at $145,000. After receiving the County of Riverside's final invoice in 2027 and true-up all costs associated with the election services, the City Clerk will return to the City Council with a budget increase or request the Finance Department to include it in one of the quarterly budget update reports during Fiscal Year 2026/27.
While not effective for the November 2026 Election, the Riverside Registrar of Voters conducted a comprehensive cost recovery and fee schedule. The previous study was conducted over 20 years ago; the Registrar of Voters will be seeking the Board of Supervisors’ approval and implementation in 2028. The costs are expected to increase substantially, and the City Clerk will request budget adjustments as needed in subsequent fiscal years.
ATTACHMENTS
ATT 1 - Resolution No. 26-4952
ATT 2 - Resolution No. 26-4953
ATT 3 - Resolution No. 26-4954A
ATT 4 - Resolution No. 26-4954B