General municipal elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.

The City Council is made up of a Mayor and six Councilmembers, for a total of seven members.  These positions are elected by Santa Ana Voters at large, and elections are held every two years.  The offices of Mayor and City Council are non-partisan.

The Mayor serves a term of two years, while Councilmembers each serve a four-year term.  At the next City election, to be held on November 2, 2010, the voters will elect Councilmembers for Wards 2, 4, 6 and the Mayor. 

To be eligible to be elected to the office of councilmember, a person must be a qualified voter and a thirty (30) day resident of the ward from which the candidate is  seeking office  at the time nomination papers are issued.   A candidate  for the Office of Mayor  must be a registered voter and thirty (30) day resident of the City at the time nomination papers are issued.

The first date for obtaining nomination papers from the Clerk of the Council’s Office for the General Election in November 2010 is 8:00 a.m. on Monday, July 12, 2010.  Nomination papers must be returned no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 6, 2010.  Specific questions regarding this process may be addressed to the Clerk of the Council at (714) 647-6520.

Candidates interested in starting a campaign committee are required to submit forms that can be obtained from the Office of the Clerk of the Council, 20 Civic Center Plaza, or may be downloaded through the Secretary of the State or the FPPC Site.