Elections
Special Election – Ward 3 Recall November 14, 2023
A Special Municipal Election will be held for Santa Ana Ward 3 voters only on Tuesday, November 14, 2023 for one recall measure.
Shall Jessie Lopez be recalled (removed) from the office of Councilmember for Ward 3, City of Santa Ana? | YES |
NO |
Notice of Election (中文 / 한국인 / Español / Tiếng Việt )
Special Recall Election Calendar
Statement of Reasons for Proposed Recall
Officer’s Answer to Statement of Reasons
Statement of Officer Being Recalled (public review period through 5:00 P.M., Monday, August 28, 2023)
Ward 3 – Vote Centers and Ballot Drop Boxes
This Special Municipal Election has been called pursuant to Elections Code §11240 following the submission of the required number of qualified signatures of Ward 3 registered voters in accordance with Santa Ana City Charter Section 1205 and California Elections Code Division 11.
- See RES-2023-055
Learn about the 2022 elections
The General Municipal Election is on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. You can visit any Orange County vote center to vote in person, vote by mail or drop off your ballot at a secured ballot drop box. All vote centers will be open November 5 through November 8. Go here for vote center locations and other voting information.
What's on the ballot for 2022 for Santa Ana?
At the municipal level, there are three categories of items on the ballot for 2022:
- Candidates for City Council for the mayor, ward 2, ward 4, and ward 6 seats
- Proposed Measure W (Business Tax Equity and Flexible Tax Holiday)
- Proposed Measure X (charter amendments)
You can read the official Notice of Candidates and Proposed Ballot Measures on our news feed. The notice is also available in Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean.
About the elections process
The City Clerk 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 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 30 days in Santa Ana.
The next General Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 for the mayoral seat and for council seats in wards 2, 4, 6.
How to run for office
Candidates may be nominated for any of the elective offices of the respective ward they reside in the City only during the Nomination Period between the 113th day and the 88th day before a municipal election.
Eligible candidates must be:
- a United States citizen;
- 18 years old on or before Election Day;
- a registered voter;
- a current Santa Ana resident
- proof verifying thirty (30) days of residency for that office is required by the time Nomination Papers are issued by the elections official.
Terms of council office are for four (4) years and the mayor serves a term of two (2) years.
1. Before nomination period
There are things candidates can do to prepare for election before candidate filing commences. One of the things they can do is file a Form 501 with the Clerk’s office. The Form 501 serves as a formal announcement of a candidate's intent to run. As a potential candidate, you may establish a Campaign Committee if you plan to raise $2,000+ or spend $1,000+ during your campaign. To establish a Committee, you will need to: 1) file a Statement of Organization (Form 410) with the Secretary of State, and 2) setup an electronic filing account by contacting the City Clerk's Office by email at cityclerk@santa-ana.org. If you are a City Council candidate, please read the limitations on contributions from Santa Ana City Charter 1206.
2. During nomination period
Interested candidates must pickup one Nomination Packet from the City Clerk's Office by making an appointment within the Nomination Period. The packet consists of one Nomination Petition to circulate and forms to complete and file before the end of the period. The nomination of candidates requires no less than 20 valid signatures from registered voters in the jurisdiction of the office they are running in to qualify for the ballot.
3. After nomination period
If you won the election and established a Campaign Committee, you must continue filing semi-annual statements until you terminate the Committee. All elected officials are also required to file annual Statements of Economic Interest or Conflict of Interest Statements (Form 700) and complete mandatory trainings such as Ethics AB1234 every two years.
If you were not successful in the election and established a Committee, pursuant to FPPC Manual 2 it is recommended that you terminate your Committee, please refer to the manual to learn how and when to do so. The City also recommends participating in local government in other ways by serving on a board or commission or participating in public meetings.
Additional information
- Candidate Handbook And Resource Guide 2022
- Candidate Filing List 2022
- Current Council Ward Map for the 2022 Election
- Election Map Information
- Campaign signs dos and don'ts
- Calling Election Resolution No. 2022-044
Election history
- Election results – Mayor and City Council (1886-2022)
- Election results – measures and Charter amendments (1886-2018)
Campaign finance
- Search campaign contribution filings (2012 to present)
- 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
Proof of residency for current councilmembers
- Mayor Amezcua
- Mayor Pro Tem Lopez
- Councilmember Phan
- Councilmember Vazquez
- Councilmember Bacerra
- Councilmember Hernandez
- Councilmember Penaloza
Voter information
- Visit the County of Orange Registrar of Voters website
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.