Riverside Municipal Code Ch. 1.15 Elections

The period for the filing of nomination documents for municipal elections shall be the same as the period for filing nomination documents by candidates in elections consolidated with the general election as set forth in California Elections Code § 10407 as that section now exists or hereafter is amended.

(Ord. 5257 § 1, 1985; Ord. 6341 § 1, 2, 1997)

The Council may call general and/or special municipal elections to be conducted wholly by mail ballots. Such elections shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of California Elections Code § 4100 et seq. as those sections now exist or hereafter are amended. This section is enacted under authority granted by Section 502 of the Charter of the City of Riverside.

(Ord. 7015 § 1, 2009; Ord. 6135 § 1, 1994; Ord. 6341 § 1, 2, 1997)

A. Each candidate for the office of Mayor or City Council may prepare and submit to the elections official for printing and circulation a candidate's statement on an appropriate form provided by the elections official. The statement may include only the name, age, and occupation of the candidate and a brief description, in no more than 200 words, of the candidate's education and qualifications expressed by the candidate himself or herself. Any candidate statement submitted pursuant to this section shall be limited to a recitation of the candidate's own personal background and qualifications, candidate's qualifications, character or activities. Nor shall the statement include the political party affiliation of the candidate nor membership or activity in any partisan political organization.

B. The elections official shall not cause to be printed or circulated any statement which the elections official determines is not so limited or which includes any materials prohibited by this section. The elections official, in his or her sole discretion, may strike any materials prohibited by the section from a candidate's statement and thereafter cause to be printed and circulated the candidate's statement as redacted.

C. Notwithstanding the 200-word length limitation set forth in paragraph A, by resolution the City Council may authorize an increase in the limitation on words in this statement from 200 to 400 words.

(Ord. 6341 § 1, 3, 1997)

A. On September 1, 2015, the State Legislature adopted the Voter Participation Rights Act, which is codified in Elections Code §§ 14050 through 14057, which states that where previous nonconcurrent elections have resulted in a significant decrease in voter turnout, local municipal elections are now required to be held on the date of a statewide election. Previous nonconcurrent elections in the City have resulted in a significant decrease in voter turnout as defined by Elections Code § 14051. The City's Charter is now in conflict with State law. This section is adopted to bring the City's general municipal election into compliance with the Voter Participation Rights Act.

B. Beginning in 2022, general municipal elections for the election of members of the City Council and for such other purposes as the City Council may prescribe shall be held in the City on the same day as the statewide election, consistent with the primary and general election dates set by the State.

C. In 2019, an election for Councilmembers to represent Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 shall be held pursuant to the Charter. Said term shall be for five years with the term expiring with an election held in 2024. Beginning in 2024 and thereafter, the Councilmembers' term shall be for four years and the elections shall be held on the statewide primary and general election dates.

D. In 2021, an election for Councilmembers to represent Wards 2, 4 and 6 shall be held pursuant to the Charter. Said term shall be for five years with the term expiring with an election held in 2026. Beginning in 2026 and thereafter, the Councilmembers' term shall be for four years and the elections shall be held on the statewide primary and general election dates.

E. Beginning in 2020, general municipal elections for the election of the mayor shall be held in the City on the same day as the statewide election, consistent with the primary and general election dates set by the State for the election of the President of the United States of America.

(Ord. 7471 § 1, 2019; Ord. 7396 § 1, 2017)

Pursuant to authority granted by Government Code § 85702.5, the City Council imposes no limit on the campaign contributions that a Mayoral or City Council candidate can receive per election.

(Ord. 7757, § 11, 2026; Ord. 7540, § 1, 2020)