Staff Report re November 3, 2026 Municipal Election Page 1 of 2
STAFF REPORT
T
O: Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Michelle Estabillo, City Clerk
VIA: Dan Barros, City Manager
MEETING DATE: June 24, 2026
SUBJECT: November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the following resolutions:
RESOLUTION CALLING AND GIVING NOTICE OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 3, 202 6, FOR THE ELECTION OF T WO CITY
COUNCILMEMBERS, REQUESTING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF SAN MATEO
COUNTY TO CONSOLIDATE SAID ELECTION WITH THE STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION OF SAME DATE PURSUANT TO ELECTIONS CODE SECTION 10403 AND RELATED MATTERS PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINE 15378; and
RE
SOLUTION ADOPTING REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE PERTAINING TO CANDIDATE’S STATEMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS AT AN ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2026 PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINE 15378.
COUNCIL ADOPTED VALUES
Vision: The calling of the General Municipal Election will continue to move the Town forward and ensure the Town has a five-member City Council to govern the Town. Responsibility: By consolidating the General Municipal Election with the Statewide General Election and requesting that San Mateo County provide services for the election, the Council is acting in a responsible manner to save and conserve Town resources.
Honesty and Integrity: The adoption of the resolution will allow for the offices to be filled pursuant to an honest elections process.
BACKGROUND
The Town’s General Municipal Election is regularly held on the same day as the Statewide General Election in November of even-numbered years. Council Members are elected for four- year terms in staggered elections, and two positions are open for election this year.
AGENDA ITEM #3
Staff Report re November 3, 2026 Municipal Election Page 2 of 2
ANALYSIS
The proposed resolutions would:
1. Call and give notice of the General Municipal Election to elect two Council Members;
2. Request that the Board of Supervisors of San Mateo County agree to the consolidation of the General Municipal Election with the Statewide General Election to be held on Tuesday November 3, 2026;
3. Authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer to render election services; and
4. Establish regulations for the submittal of Candidate Statements.
The Town is required to publish or post notice of the election, including the time of election and the city offices to be filled, once, no later than July 13, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT
The FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget contains $15,000.00 for election activity. The adoption of these resolutions will consolidate the General Municipal Election with the Statewide General Election thereby saving Town money and resources. Further, requesting services from San Mateo County for the election will further reduce Town costs, staff time, and staff resources.
ENVIRONMENTAL
This is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines section 15378, as it is an administrative activity that will not result in a physical change to the environment.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends the Council adopt resolutions calling for a General Municipal Election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 and establishing regulations for the submittal of Candidate Statements.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Resolution – Calling the Election
B. Resolution – Candidate Statement Regulations
Res 2026-XX, November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election Page 1 of 3 RESOLUTION NO. 2026 - XX
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF COLMA
R
ESOLUTION CALLING AND GIVING NOTICE OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 3, 2026, FOR THE ELECTION OF TWO CITY
COUNCILMEMBERS, REQUESTING THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF SAN MATEO
COUNTY TO CONSOLIDATE SAID ELECTION WITH THE STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION OF SAME DATE PURSUANT TO ELECTIONS CODE SECTION 10403 AND RELATED MATTERS PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINE 15378
T
he City Council of the Town of Colma does hereby resolve as follows:
1. Background.
(a) Pursuant to Section 1.01.090 of the Colma Municipal Code, the General Municipal Election for the Town of Colma will be held on November 3, 2026. (b) The offices of two City Councilmembers will be subject to election. (c) It is desirable that the General Municipal Election be consolidated with the Statewide General Election to be held on the same date, and that within the Town the precincts, polling places, vote centers and election officers of the two elections be the same, and that the San Mateo County Elections Official canvass the returns of the General Municipal Election, and that the election be held in all respects as if there were only one election.
2. Order. The City Council of the Town of Colma does hereby order, determine, and declare as follows:
(a) The City Council, pursuant to its right and authority, does hereby call and order a G
eneral Municipal Election to be held in the Town of Colma, California, to be consolidated with the Statewide General Election, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 for the purpose of electing two councilmembers, each for the full term of four years.
(b) The ballots to be used at the election shall be in the form and content as required by law.
(c) The City Clerk is authorized, instructed and directed to coordinate with the San Mateo County Elections Official to procure and furnish any and all official ballots, notices, printed matter and all supplies, equipment and paraphernalia that may be necessary in order to properly and lawfully conduct the election.
(d) That the precincts, ballot drop box locations and hours of operations, vote center locations and hours of operations, vote-by-mail procedures and timing, and election officers, and all other persons and procedures for the General Municipal Election shall be the same as those utilized by the County of San Mateo.
(e) In all particulars not recited in this Resolution, the election shall be held and conducted as provided by law for holding municipal elections.
ATTACHMENT A
Res 2026-XX, November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election Page 2 of 3 (f) Notice of the time and place of holding the election is hereby given, and the City Clerk is authorized, instructed and directed to give such further or additional notice, in the time, form and manner required by law.
(g) In the event of a tie vote (if any two or more persons receive an equal and the highest number of votes for an office) as certified by the County of San Mateo Elections Official, the City Council, in accordance with Elections Code Section 15651(a), shall set a date, time and place and summon the candidates who have received the tie votes to appear and will determine the tie by lot.
3. Request for Consolidation
(a) Pursuant to the requirements of California Elections Code Section 10403, the City Council of the Town of Colma hereby requests the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo to consent and agree to the consolidation of the Town of Colma General Municipal Election with the Statewide General election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 for the purpose of electing two councilmembers.
(b) The City Manager is authorized to sign any agreement to authorize the County Election Division to canvass the returns of the General Municipal Election. The election shall be held in all respects as if there were only one election, and only one form of ballot shall be used.
Pursuant to Elections Code Section 10418, the election will be held and conducted in compliance with the provisions of law regulating the Statewide General Election. (c) The Board of Supervisors is requested to issue instructions to the County Election Division to take any and all steps necessary for the holding of the consolidated election. (d) The Town of Colma recognizes that additional costs may be incurred by the County by reason of this consolidation and agrees to reimburse the County in full for such costs upon presentation of a bill to the Town.
4. Instructions to City Clerk
The City Clerk is hereby directed to file a certified copy of this Resolution with the Board of Supervisors and the Elections Division of the County of San Mateo.
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Res 2026-XX, November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election Page 3 of 3 Certification of Adoption
I
certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 2026 - XX was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the Town of Colma held on June 24, 2026, by the following vote:
N
ame Voting Present, Not Voting Absent
Aye No Abstain Not Participating
Carrie Slaughter, Mayor
Helen Fisicaro,
Joanne F. del Rosario
Thomas Walsh
Ken Gonzalez
Voting Tally
D
ated ______________________ ___________________________________ Carrie Slaughter, Mayor
Attest: ____________________________
Michelle Estabillo Gourlie, City Clerk
Res 2026-XX, Candidate Statement Regulations Page 1 of 3 RESOLUTION NO. 2026 - XX
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF COLMA
R
ESOLUTION ADOPTING REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE PERTAINING TO CANDIDATE’S STATEMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS AT AN ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2025 PURSUANT TO CEQA GUIDELINE 15378
T
he City Council of the Town of Colma does hereby resolve as follows:
1. Background.
(a) Section 13307 of the Elections Code of the State of California provides that the governing body of any local agency adopt regulations pertaining to materials prepared by any candidate for a municipal election, including costs of the candidate’s statement.
2. Order. The City Council of the Town of Colma does hereby order, determine, and declare as follows:
(a) GENERAL PROVISIONS. Pursuant to §13307 of the Elections Code of the State of Cal
ifornia, each candidate for elective office to be voted for at an Election to be held in the Town of Colma may prepare a candidate's statement on an appropriate form provided by the City Clerk. The statement may include the name, age and occupation of the candidate and a b
rief description of no more than 200 words of the candidate's education and qualifications expressed by the candidate himself or herself. The statement shall not include party affiliation of the candidate, nor membership or activity in partisan political organizations. The statement shall be filed in typewritten form in the office of the City Clerk at the time the candidate's nomination papers are filed. The statement may be withdrawn, but not changed, during the period for filing nomination papers and until 5:00 p.m. of the next working day after the close of the nomination period.
(b) FORGEIN LANGUAGE POLICY.
(i) Pursuant to the Federal Voting Rights Act, candidate’s statements will be translated into all languages
required by the County of San Mateo. The County is
r
equired to translate candidate's statements into the following languages: Spanish and Chinese.
(ii) The County will mail separate voter information guides and candidate’s statements in English, Chinese and Spanish to only those voters who are on the county voter file as having requested a voter information guide in a particular language. The County will make the voter
information guides and candidate’s
statements in the required languages available at all polling places, on the County's website, and in the Election Official's office. (c) PAYMENT.
(
i) The candidate shall not be required to pay for the cost of translating the candidates’ statement into any required foreign language as specified in section
ATTACHMENT B
Res 2026-XX, Candidate Statement Regulations Page 2 of 3 (b) above pursuant to Federal and/or state law.
(ii) The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of translating the candidates statement any foreign language that is not required as specified in section (b) above, pursuant to Federal and\or State law, but is requested as an option by the candidate.
(iii) The candidate shall not be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidates statement in English in the main voter pamphlet. (iv) The candidate shall not be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidates statement in a foreign language required in section (b) above, in the main voter pamphlet.
(d) MISCELLANEOUS.
(i) All translations shall be provided by professionally-certified translators. (ii) The City Clerk shall allow bold type, underlining, capitalization, indentations, bullets, and leading hyphens to the same extent and manner as allowed by the County of San Mateo.
(iii)The City Clerk shall comply with all recommendations and standards set forth by the California Secretary of State regarding occupational designations and other matters relating to election.
(e) ADDITIONAL MATERIALS. No candidate will be permitted to include additional materials in the voter information guide.
(f) That the City Clerk shall provide each candidate or the candidate's representative a copy of this Resolution at the time nominating petitions are issued. (g) That all previous resolutions establishing council policy on payment for candidate’s statements are repealed.
(h) That this resolution shall apply at the next ensuing municipal election and at each municipal election after that time.
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Res 2026-XX, Candidate Statement Regulations Page 3 of 3 Certification of Adoption
I certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 2026-XX was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the Town of Colma held on June 24, 2026, by the following vote:
Name Voting Present, Not Voting Absent
Aye No Abstain Not Participating
Carrie Slaughter, Mayor
Helen Fisicaro
Joanne F. del Rosario
Thomas Walsh
Ken Gonzalez
Voting Tally
Dated ______________________ ___________________________________ Carrie Slaughter, Mayor
Attest: ____________________________
Michelle Estabillo Gourlie, MMC
City Clerk