Elections

Elections & Voter Information

The City of San Buenaventura (Ventura) is a Charter City with a City Council/City manager form of government. Starting in 2018, registered voters elect seven (7) City Councilmembers by Districts. City Councilmembers serve a term of four (4) years with the terms being staggered on a 2-year basis with three (3) members being elected at one election and four (4) at the next. The Mayor is elected among its members and serves a two (2) year term.

Upcoming Elections

Election Day	Districts
November 5, 2024	2, 3, 7

Next Election

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

The City of Ventura General Municipal Election shall be held biennially on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each even-numbered year, or to coincide with any general state-wide election held in November of each even-numbered year (Charter Art. V, Sec. 500).

A detailed timeline of the 2024 election process will be published in early 2024

Voter Registration Information

As of January 1, 2022, all registered voters will be issued a Vote By Mail Ballot, without having to request it. The Vote-By-Mail ballot can be returned, postage-free through the mail and it will be considered valid as long as it’s postmarked the day of the election or earlier. With the correct postmark, it will be accepted up to the seventh day after the election.

Voter's Choice Act (VCA) Ventura County

The VCA voter model allows voters to choose how, when, and where to cast their ballot by:

Mailing every voter a ballot
Expanding in-person early voting
Allowing voters to cast a ballot at any Vote Center in Ventura County

Nomination Period (Election Code § 10220)

All forms and nomination documents are available from the City Clerk’s Office. Only the official forms prepared or issued by the City Clerk’s Office may be used. Candidates, or their authorized agents, will be given both oral and written instructions on the procedures to complete the nomination process at the time they apply.

City Council Candidate Eligibility

City of San Buenaventura (Ventura) Charter Section 503 states, "No person shall hold, or be eligible for nomination to office as a member of the City Council unless at the time his nomination papers are filed, or his appointment made, he is a registered voter of this City …prior to filing his/her nomination papers for election or appointment, a resident of this City or of territory annexed thereto"

A Member of the City Council elected to represent a district must reside in that district and be a registered voter in that district, and any candidate for City Council must live in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which he or she seeks election at the time nomination papers are issued, pursuant to Elections Code 10227. Termination of residency in a district by a Member of the City Council shall create an immediate vacancy for that Council district unless a substitute residence within the district is established within 30 days after the termination of residency. [Ordinance 2018-001, Chapter 2.210–San Buenaventura Municipal Code]

Prior to soliciting for any campaign funds OR expending any personal funds for the election, individuals must file FPPC Form 501 (Candidate Intention Statement) with the City Clerk.