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2026 Elections Primary and Runoff

On June 2, 2026, the Primary election for the City of San Jose will see the following seats on the ballot: Council Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.  

The filing period for Nomination Papers begins on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. and ends on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. (noon).

  • Nomination Papers will not be available before February 9, 2026.

  • Appointments are strongly recommended for obtaining and submitting paperwork.

  • Please refer to the 2026 Candidate Guide for detailed instructions and requirements and 2026 Dates of Interest for filing and other election deadlines. 

  • Check this page regularly for updates as the election approaches.

Campaign Contribution Period and Limit

The Campaign Contribution Period begins on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. The total campaign contribution made by any person to any council candidate and any controlled committee of that candidate, other than the candidate in aid of himself or herself, may not exceed $800 per election.

"No person shall solicit or accept any campaign contribution or deposit any contributions for any campaign into any municipal campaign bank account, except during a campaign contribution period set forth in SJMC § 12.06.290."

"Any contribution which is received outside of a campaign contribution period for an election shall not be accepted or deposited, but shall be returned to the contributor or donor within five business days."

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS

  • View Campaign Forms
  • Contains financial information provided by local candidates and committees as well as lobbyist filings. It can answer questions about who is contributing money, who is receiving money, how it is being spent and who a lobbyist is lobbying.  Use the Public Access Portal to research campaign contributions and expenditures, review campaign statements filed by candidates, examine a committee‘s filing history, or view lobbyist filings.

    https://www.southtechhosting.com/SanJoseCity/CampaignDocsWebRetrieval/

  • Filer Access Portal
    The City of San Jose's Office of the City Clerk is pleased to offer a new online filing feature for our campaign financial disclosure. This portal will provide the capability for filers to complete and submit campaign finance disclosure forms online. It is an easy, convenient, and user-friendly way to file these forms. This new, free online service is available to any local committee, candidate, or officeholder that is required to file campaign disclosure documents with our office. This system will also accommodate Cal-Access filers who may use another professional software system allowing those filers to upload data from another system.

    https://www.southtechhosting.com/SanJoseCity/eCampaign/

  • Guide for CAL Access Filers (For clients that use another system to manage their accounts)

 

THE LEVINE ACT

The Levine Act requires a Party in a Proceeding before the City of San José that involves any action related to their contract, license, permit, or use entitlement to disclose any campaign contributions to City elected or appointed officials totaling more than $500 within the 12 months prior to the City decision. Please visit our Levine Act page for more information. 

RESOURCES

2026 Candidate Guide updated 9/16/2025

2026 Dates of Interest updated 9/16/2025

PDFs of Council Districts

GIS Site for City Maps

  • City of San José Board of Fair Campaign and Political Practices. The San José Board of Fair Campaign and Political Practices monitors compliance with all campaign and ethics ordinances in the San José Municipal Code. The commission reviews and investigates allegations of violations of the Code and makes recommendations for enforcement action where appropriate.
  • Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters
    The Registrar of Voters (ROV) is the County Elections Official and the office conducts all Federal, State, County, Municipal, School District, and Special District scheduled and special elections. The ROV Office is also responsible for voter registration, education, and outreach; maintenance of registration files; verification of initiatives, referenda and recall petitions; and filing of campaign reports.
  • State of California Secretary of State Elections Division 
    The Elections Division oversees all federal and state elections within California. As the chief elections officer for the largest state in the nation, the California Secretary of State tests and certifies all voting equipment for security, accuracy, reliability, and accessibility in order to ensure that every vote is counted as it was cast. The Secretary also ensures election laws and campaign disclosure requirements are enforced, maintains a statewide database of all registered voters, certifies the official lists of candidates for elections, tracks and certifies ballot initiatives, compiles election returns and certifies election results, educates California citizens about their voting rights, and promotes voter registration and participation.

 

ABOUT THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK

As the City of San Jose Elections Official, the City Clerk administers State, and Local procedures through which the City Councilmembers are selected. The City Clerk assists candidates in meeting their legal responsibilities before, during and after an election. From Election pre-planning and filing nomination paperwork to certification of election results and filing of final campaign disclosure documents, the City Clerk manages the process which forms the foundation of our City government.  The City Clerk does not provide legal interpretation or legal guidance on State rules or Local ordinances.