Long Beach Municipal Code Art. XIX Nominations and Elections

Municipal elections shall be classified as follows:

1. Primary nominating elections,

2. General municipal elections, and

3. Special municipal elections.

The primary and general municipal elections for elective officers of the City shall be held on the same dates established for the statewide primary and general elections, respectively, by California Election Code section 1000 et seq. for even numbered years, and candidates elected to office shall assume such office on the third Tuesday in December, or such later date if additional time is required to canvass and certify election results and shall serve until election and qualification of their successors.

(Amended by Meas. LBC, 11-8-2022, eff. 1-23-2023)

All other municipal elections shall be known as special municipal elections.

The City Council shall have the power to submit to the electors of the City, at any election, any measure or proposition required to be submitted by the Constitution, this Charter, general law or by ordinance or resolution of the City.

Candidates for elective offices, except for the City Council, to be voted for at any general municipal election, shall be nominated by the City at large at the primary nominating election. Candidates for City Council, to be voted for at any general municipal election, shall be nominated by the respective district to be represented at a primary nominating election.

Candidates for elective offices, except for the offices of members of the City Council, shall be voted for by the electorate at large. Candidates for the offices of members of the City Council shall be voted for by the electorate of the respective District to be represented. In the event that no candidate for nomination to an elective office receives a majority of the votes cast for all candidates for nomination to such office at any primary nominating election, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes for any given office at the primary nominating election shall be the candidates and the only candidates for such office whose names shall be printed upon the ballots to be used at the general municipal election.

In the event that any candidate for nomination to an elective office shall receive a majority of the votes cast for all the candidates for nomination to such office at any primary nominating election, the candidate so receiving such majority of votes shall be deemed to be and declared by the City Council to be elected to such office.

The City Council shall, by resolution, order the holding of all elections not less than thirty (30) days before the day of the primary nominating election and not less than thirty (30) days before the day of the general municipal election. The City Clerk shall enter the names of the candidates nominated in a list with the offices to be filled, and shall certify such list to the City Council as being the list of candidates nominated as required by law. The City Council shall cause said certified list of names and the offices to be filled to be published as required by the Elections Code of the State of California.

The candidate who shall receive the highest number of votes in the general municipal election for his respective office shall be deemed to be and declared by the City Council to be elected to such office.

Notwithstanding the limitations set forth in this Chapter relating to contracting, the City Clerk shall, with approval of the City Council, select a printing and consulting firm or firms by negotiation to provide the necessary ballots, cards and other printed election materials and supplies and advice necessary to assure that the election or elections be conducted in a timely manner and within the legal requirements of law. The City Clerk shall select any such printing and consulting firm or firms based upon their experience in handling municipal elections and ability to produce the printed materials and supplies with the necessary specialized equipment to ensure timely delivery and proper quality and quantity of such election materials and supplies for such ensuing election or elections.

Unless otherwise provided by this Charter or ordinance adopted by the City Council, all municipal elections shall be held in accordance with the provisions of the Elections Code of the State of California governing municipal elections.