November 3, 2020 General Municipal Election
The Clerk of the Council serves as the elections official and is responsible for all candidate filings, the issuance and acceptance of nomination papers, City measures, and publication of all legal notices as well as campaign and conflict of interest filings required by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).
The City Council is made up of a Mayor and six Councilmembers, for a total of seven members. City Councilmembers are nominated by their respective wards and the Mayor seat is nominated at-large. The offices of Mayor and City Council are non-partisan.
The Mayor serves a term of two years, with a maximum of four consecutive terms. While, Councilmembers each serve a four-year term, with a maximum of three consecutive four-year terms.
Pursuant to Resolution No. 2020-041, to be eligible to be elected to the office of Councilmember, a person must be a registered voter and provide proof of residency no less than thirty (30) days in the Ward from which the candidate is nominated prior to issuing the nomination papers. To be eligible to be elected to the office of Mayor, a person must be a registered voter and provide proof of residency no less than thirty (30) days in the City of Santa Ana.
2020 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a General Municipal Election will be held in the City of Santa Ana on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 to consider the odd-numbered Council Ward seats 1, 3, 5 and Mayor seat. Under Santa Ana's new Ward map re-boundary election process, voters may only elect one Councilmember for the Council Ward they are registered in. Learn more about our transition to the Ward Map Re-Boundary Election process at www.santa-ana.org/cc/ward-map-re-boundary.
Vote-by-Mail Voting Began October 5, 2020
Drop boxes for vote-by-mail ballots will be opened on Monday, October 5, 2020, for the November 3, 2020 Presidential Election. Vote-by-mail ballots will be mailed to all Orange County registered voters beginning October 5, 2020.
Find the locations of drop boxes and vote centers at www.ocvote.com/voting/voting-and-dropoff-locations-by-election.
Image of an official Orange County ballot drop box:
The Final Close of Registration for new voters is October 19, 2020. Conditional Voter Registration is from October 20, 2020, through November 3, 2020.
Orange County Vote Centers will be open between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. from October 30, 2020 through November 2, 2020.
On Election Day, November 3, 2020, Vote Centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Candidate Filing Period
Pursuant to Elections Code section 10224, the City Council candidate nomination period opens July 13, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2020. The Santa Ana Clerk of the Council issues and accepts official nomination documents by appointment only during regular business hours, Monday through Thursday and every other Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. unless otherwise posted in the Calendar for Holiday and Closed Friday schedule.
Click here to verify your ward.
By appointment only, to pick up and file nomination papers during business hours as posted from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., please call (714) 647-6520 or email cityclerk@santa-ana.org.
The following are key dates for the November 3, 2020, election:
| Nomination Period Opens | July 13, 2020 |
| Nomination Period Closes | August 6, 2020 |
| Secretary of State Holds Random Alpha Drawing | August 13, 2020 |
| Write-in Candidacy Filing Period Opens | September 7, 2020 |
| Write-in Candidacy Filing Period Closes | October 20, 2020 |
| Last Date to Register to Vote | October 19, 2020 |
| Ballot Mailed to Registered Address | October 5, 2020 |
| Election Day | November 3, 2020 |
| Campaign Signs Must Be Removed | November 13, 2020 |
| Deadline to Certify Election Results | December 3, 2020 |
FPPC Candidates and Controlled Committees Filing Schedule
Final List of Qualified Candidates in Ballot Order for the November 3, 2020 General Election:
WARD 1
| NAME | AFFIDAVIT OF RESIDENCE | BALLOT DESIGNATION | CANDIDATE STATEMENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Adame | Click to View | Entrepreneur/CFO | Click to View |
| Thomas Anthony Gordon | Click to View | School Facilities Manager | None |
| Thai Viet Phan | Click to View | Planning Commissioner/Attorney | Click to View |
| Cynthia Contreras | Click to View | Orange County Probation Coordinator | Click to View |
WARD 3
| NAME | AFFIDAVIT OF RESIDENCE | BALLOT DESIGNATION | CANDIDATE STATEMENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jessie Lopez | Click to View | Diversity Development Coordinator | Click to View |
| Mark McLoughlin | Click to View | Santa Ana Planning Commissioner | Click to View |
| Danny Vega | Click to View | Electrical Engineer | Click to View |
| Jeffrey Katz | Click to View | Santa Ana Business Owner | Click to View |
| Jannelle Welker | Click to View | Supervisor's Policy Advisor | Click to View |
WARD 5
| NAME | AFFIDAVIT OF RESIDENCE | BALLOT DESIGNATION | CANDIDATE STATEMENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnathan Hernandez | Click to View | Community Health Worker | Click to View |
| Laura Perez | Click to View | Property Management Coordinator | Click to View |
| Vic Mendez | Click to View | Businessman | Click to View |
| Juan Villegas | Click to View | Councilman/Sheriff Officer | Click to View |
MAYORAL SEAT
| NAME | AFFIDAVIT OF RESIDENCE | BALLOT DESIGNATION | CANDIDATE STATEMENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claudia C. Alvarez | Click to View | Prosecutor/College Trustee | Click to View |
| Mark I. Lopez | Click to View | Business Owner | None |
| Vicente Sarmiento | Click to View | Councilmember, City of Santa Ana/Businessman | Click to View |
| Jose Solorio | Click to View | Council Member/Father | Click to View |
| Cecilia Iglesias | Click to View | Educator/Taxpayer Advocate | Click to View |
| George Collins | Click to View | Business Owner | Click to View |
Election Information
Election History
- Election Results – Mayor and City Council (1886-2020)
- Election Results – Measures and Charter Amendments (1886-2018)
Campaign Finance
- Search Campaign Contribution Filings (2012 to present)
- Fair Political Practices Commission Forms and Deadlines
- City of Santa Ana - Campaign Contribution Limits
- Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC)
The FPPC is the State agency that enforces State laws regarding, among other things, campaign financing and spending, financial conflicts of interest, and gifts and honoraria given to public officials and candidates under the Political Reform Act. The FPPC provides written and oral advice to public agencies, candidates, and officials on the requirements of the Political Reform Act. The FPPC’s Advice Line can be reached at 1-866-ASK-FPPC (1-866-275-3772) or email at advice@fppc.ca.gov
Voter Registration
- Register to Vote (On-line form)
- Update My Voter Registration Information
- Check My Registration
- Voting Centers (Voting Options)
- County of Orange 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.
Other
- FAQs
- Request to Withdraw Name from Petition