Elective Offices

 

WHO CAN RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL?

Any member of the public who meets the requirements below may run for public office in the City of Sacramento. Candidates must:

• Be at least eighteen years of age
• Be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the State of California
• Be a registered voter and a resident within the district the candidate seeks to represent for not less than 30 days preceding the date of filing candidate papers. Registration will be verified before issuance of nomination papers.

HOW DOES A CANDIDATE GET ON THE BALLOT?

Candidates must obtain and complete the official nomination documents that are issued by the Office of the City Clerk. This is done during the official nomination period (February-March of an election year). Nomination forms are issued at no charge.

Issuance of nomination documents are done on an appointment basis through the Office of the City Clerk. To ensure that the City Clerk's elections team is prepared to devote their full attention to each candidate, individuals are encouraged to schedule an appointment in advance. During the appointment the City Clerk will provide an instructional overview of the deadlines, regulations and forms. This process can take from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the number of questions asked by the candidate.

Office hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and are closed on City holidays. To schedule an appointment, call the City Clerk's Office at 808-7200. A candidate should be prepared to provide a name and residential address for validation of current voter registration and eligibility status. Prospective candidates are encouraged to review the "Candidate Instructional Manual" in preparation of the scheduled appointment.

CANDIDATE INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE

The nomination instructions are fully contained in the "Candidate Instructional Guide". This information is provided to assist candidates in understanding the requirements necessary to run for municipal office. The manual is provided as a guide and should not substitute for legal, accounting or other professional services. Samples in this manual are not official forms and are provided for illustrative purposes only. Official forms are only available from the City Clerk.

SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL

Sacramento City Council Members are elected to serve four (4) year terms. There are no limits to the number of terms a person may serve. The term expirations for the City Council are staggered so that only half of the offices expire at a time. The terms for Mayor and Council Members of Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 expire in 2012, and terms for Members of Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 expire in 2014.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO?

Interested in a general description of what is involved in being a member of the City Council? For more information.

NEED ASSISTANCE OR HAVE QUESTIONS?

We are happy to assist you. Please contact us via email at: clerk@cityofsacramento.org, or by phone at (916) 808-7200.