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CIVIC CENTER • I B 125 BLOOMnEW AVENUE '· , ?.' SM
P.O. BOX 3130 • CERRITOS. CALIFORNIA 90703-3130 1111 9
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
LYNDA P. JOHNSON
MAYOR
PHONE: (562) 860-0311 • CERRITOS.GOV
AGENDA REPORT
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Robert
Pam Lee,
A.
City
Lopez,
Attorne\l
City Manage � � 1 \ � Cynthia Nava, City Clef'ktEYecti s Official)' September 28, 2026
2008
Review and consideration to waive full reading of and adopt A
RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL CALLING FOR A
GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2027, FOR THE ELECTION OF CERTAIN OFFICERS AS REQUIRED BY THE
PROVISIONS OF THE CERRITOS CITY CHARTER
Review and consideration to waive full reading of and adopt A
RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING
REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE PERTAINING
TO CANDIDATE STATEMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS AT AN
ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2027
Review and consideration to waive full reading of and adopt A
RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL REQUESTING THE
LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO RENDER
SPECIFIED SERVICES TO THE CITY RELATING TO THE CONDUCT OF
THE CERRITOS GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON
TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2027
Review and consideration to waive full reading of and adopt A
RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL SUBMITTING TO THE VOTERS FOR THE MARCH 2, 2027 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION A
PROPOSED CITY CHARTER AMENDMENT RELATING TO A CHANGE OF
THE CITY'S ESTABLISHED GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION AND
ANNUAL MAYORAL TRANSITION DATES
Review and consideration to waive full reading of and adopt A
RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL SETTING PRIORITIES
FOR FILING WRITTEN ARGUMENTS REGARDING A PROPOSED CITY
CHARTER AMENDMENT AND DIRECTING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO
PREPARE AN IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS
MARK E. PULIDO
MAYOR PRO TEM
JENNIFER HONG
COUNCILMEMBER
SOPHIA M. TSE
COUNCILMEMBER
FRANK AURELIO YO KOY AMA
COUNCILMEMBER
11 Cerritos General Municipal Election
September 28, 2026
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Cerritos City Charter Section 800 establishes that the City's general municipal election for City officers shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each oddnumbered year; thus, the next general municipal election will be Tuesday, March 2, 2027.
The City Council must adopt resolutions commencing the formal actions required to initiate the City's next general municipal election for officers, pursuant to the provisions of State law and the Charter, as provided in this report.
Furthermore, in accordance with City Council (Council) direction provided on June 8, 2026, the following report is presented for consideration of adoption of resolutions to place a Cerritos City Charter (Charter) amendment measure on the Tuesday, March 2, 2027 Cerritos General Municipal Election ballot. The proposed Charter amendment pertains to changing (i) the City's general municipal election date to coincide with the consolidated Los Angeles County and Statewide general election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November of even-numbered years, and (ii) the City's Mayoral Transition date.
BACKGROUND & FINDINGS
Upon direction from the City Council, City staff will commence planning the activities required to conduct the Tuesday, March 2, 2027 Cerritos General Municipal Election as a standalone proceeding. The resolutions required to initiate election activities are attached to this report and further detailed in the following sections. Updates to the City's Election Administration Plan (EAP) will be underway to ensure a legally compliant, operationally efficient, and transparent election. The EAP will include modernized elections management procedures pursuant to Charter provisions and applicable local, State, and Federal laws and regulations. A summary of the updates is provided in the following sections of this report.
Cerritos
Municipal Election
� �=-5='
Tuesday, March 2, 2027
Cerritos General Municipal Election
RESOLUTIONS
The City's method of procedure for the conduct of general municipal elections requires City Council adoption of various resolutions to trigger the posting and publication of the required notice of election, and processing related to proposed Charter amendments. As such, the applicable resolutions are presented for City Council review and consideration and are summarized in the following sections.
RESOLUTION Notice, call, and order of general munlclpal election for officers
A RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL
CALLING FOR A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE
HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 2027, FOR THE ELECTION
OF CERTAIN OFFICERS AS REQUIRED BY THE
PROVISIONS OF THE CERRITOS CITY CHARTER
22 Cerritos General Municipal Election
September 28, 2026
This resolution notices, calls, and orders a general municipal election to be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2027, in the City of Cerritos for the purpose of electing two (2) members of the City Council for the full term of four (4) years. The adoption of this resolution triggers the requirement to post and publish the notice of election and establishes the official candidate nomination period.
Candidate Nomination Period
The official candidate nomination period is the time established by State law when individuals who wish to run for local elected office may formally "qualify" as candidates for placement on the ballot. The nomination period begins 113 days before Election Day and ends at the close of business on the 88th day before Election Day.** During this period, prospective candidates obtain, or "pull," and file their official nomination papers with the City Clerk/Elections Official (CA Elections Code Section 10220). All transactions must be conducted during the regular business hours of the Office of the City Clerk/Elections Official, as posted.
After review of a candidate's filed nomination papers is complete, including verification of signatures on a "Nomination Paper," the City Clerk/Elections Official will deem the candidate "qualified," should all legal requirements be met. Activities such as announcing a candidacy, forming a campaign committee, raising money, or publicly campaigning do not themselves constitute official nomination and candidacy. Assembly Bill 1392, effective January 1, 2026, provides that unless a candidate for local office formally opts out, State law requires a candidate's residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit of registration made confidential (CA Elections Code §2166.9).
In accordance with the Charter and CA Elections Code, the official candidate nomination period schedule will be as follows:
Event Date Time
Nomination Period Opens Monday, November 9, 2026 8:00 a.m.
Nomination Period Closes Friday December 4 2026* 5:00 p.m.
Extended Nomination Period Closes** Wednesday December 9 2026 5:00_Q.m. *Appointments are strongly recommended for parties interested in pulling and filing official Candidate Nomination Papers. Appointments will be required for any Cerritos registered voter interested in pulling or filing Candidate Nomination Papers on Fridays (November 13 and 20, and December 4, 2026) throughout the official candidate nomination period. City Hall will be closed on weekends and observed holidays during the official Candidate Nomination Period, including Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (Veterans Day), and Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27, 2026 (Thanksgiving Holiday).
Alternating Friday closures of City Hall may be forthcoming based on City Council direction and the Fiscal Year 2026-27 City Budget adoption, and pending the meet and confer process with the union. Additionally, currently, the City has minimal staffing levels on Fridays due to the recently implemented Alternate Work Schedule. Given minimal staffing levels and potential additional Friday closures, Fridays are available for issuance and filing of official Candidate Nomination Papers by appointment only during the nomination period.
**If an eligible incumbent City Councilmember does not file the required nomination paperwork by the stated filing deadline, the official candidate nomination period is extended 33 Cerritos General Municipal Election
September 28, 2026
for an additional five (5) days to Wednesday, December 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. sharp for only eligible individuals other than eligible incumbents (CA Elections Code§ 10225(a)). The subject resolution is attached to this report (Exhibit 1).
RESOLUTION Setting regulations for statements of qualifications submitted by candidates to be included in official election materials
A RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL ADOPTING
REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE
PERTAINING TO CANDIDATE'S STATEMENTS SUBMITTED TO
THE VOTERS AT AN ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY,
MARCH 2, 2027
This resolution sets regulations for statements of qualifications (statement) submitted by candidates, to be printed in official election materials. These regulations set forth the allowable content and length of the statement of qualifications, deadlines for submission and withdrawal, the foreign language translation policy establishing compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act, and the pro rata payment requirements for candidates who choose to submit a statement of qualifications.
The chart on the following page provides a brief summary of the regulations for each statement of qualifications (''statement") submitted by candidates to be included in official election materials (CA Elections Code Section 13307).
( agenda report continues on the next page)
44 Cerritos General Municipal Election
September 28, 2026
Regulation Detail
Form Statement must be filed with completed official form issued by the City Clerk/Elections Official
Format Must be filed in typewritten format
Content May include:
1. Name, age, and occupation of the candidate; and
2. A brief description of no more than 200 words of the candidate's own education and qualifications expressed by the candidate himself or herself. Cannot include political affiliation nor membership or activity in partisan political organizations.
Must conform to word count standards of California Elections Code Section 9.
3. Endorsement(s) - Should the statement include any endorsement from an individual(s) or organization(s), the candidate shall include with the statement a written declaration of authorization siqned by the endorsinq party(ies).
Style Statement must be printed in type of uniform size and darkness, with uniform spacing. Only standard indentation will be allowed. Certain graphical styles are prohibited and are further detailed in the resolution.
Filing Must be filed at the same time as all other official nomination paperwork.
Payment The candidate shall be required to pay, by cash or check, for their total pro rata share of printing, handling, and mailing of the candidate statement in English in the official voter information guide. The estimated payment of $700.00 shall be collected at the time the candidate statement is filed with the nomination paperwork.
Withdrawal A filed candidate statement may be withdrawn, but not changed, during the official candidate nomination period and until 5:00 p.m. of the next business day after the close of the nomination oeriod.
The subject resolution is attached to this report (Exhibit 2).
RESOLUTION Requesting specified services required for election from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk through the Los Angeles county Board of Supervisors
A RESOLUTION OF THE CERRITOS CITY COUNCIL
REQUESTING THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS TO RENDER SPECIFIED SERVICES TO THE
CITY RELATING TO THE CONDUCT OF THE CERRITOS
GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY,
MARCH 2, 2027
This resolution requests the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to authorize access to official voter registration information maintained by the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/County Clerk. This information is utilized to verify and authenticate eligibility of potential candidates and voter signatures on official nomination paperwork and ballot materials. Other specified services include the use of vote-by-mail drop boxes and/or election materials and supplies. This request is made during each election as the County is the local registrar of voters as designated by the California Secretary of State.
The subject resolution is attached to this report (Exhibit 3). 55 66
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