RESOLUTION NO. 25-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING REGULATIONS
FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE, PERTAINING
TO FILING FEES AND CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS AT AN ELECTION TO BE
HELD TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2026
WHEREAS, 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 statement;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LANCASTER,
CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE, AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. General Provisions.
That pursuant to Section 13307 of the Elections Code of the State of California, each candidate for elective office to be voted for at an election to be held in the City of Lancaster on April 14, 2026, may prepare a candidate statement on an appropriate form provided by the City Clerk. The statement may include the name, age, and occupation of the candidate and a brief description of no more than 400 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 printed on form prescribed by the City Clerk, and provided to the City Clerk in electronic (Word) format, 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 The statement may be withdrawn, but not changed, during the period for filing nomination papers and until 5:00 p.m. of the next working day after the close of the nomination period.
SECTION 2. Foreign Language Policy.
A. Pursuant to the Federal Voting Rights Act, the City is required to translate candidate statements into the following language: Spanish
B. Pursuant to State law, the candidate’s statement must be translated and printed (in the voters pamphlet) in Spanish and any other language at the candidate’s request upon receipt of payment and if submitted by the deadline established by the City Clerk.
C. The City Clerk shall:
1. Translations:
a. Have all candidates statements translated into Spanish as specified in (A) above. b. Have translated those statements into the other languages as requested by the candidate in (B) above
2. Printing:
a. Print all translations of all candidates statements in the main voter pamphlet.
The main voter pamphlet will be in English and Spanish
b. print any translations of candidates who so request printing in the primary voter pamphlet.
SECTION 3. Payment.
A. Translations:
Resolution No. 25-
1. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of translating the candidate’s statement into any foreign language that is not required as specified in Section 2 (A) and/or (B) [Spanish] above, pursuant to Federal and/or State law, but is requested as an option by the candidate.
B. Printing:
1. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidate’s statement in English and Spanish and the translation in the voters’ pamphlet; all translations shall be provided by professionally-certified translators contracted by the City.
2. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidate’s statement in a foreign language other than what is specified in Section 2 (A) and/or (B) in the voters’ pamphlet.
The City Clerk shall estimate the total cost of printing, handling, translating, and mailing the candidate’s statement filed pursuant to this section, including costs incurred as a result of complying with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (as amended), and require each candidate filing a statement to pay in advance to the local agency his or her estimated pro rata share as a condition of having his or her statement included in the voters’ pamphlet. In the event the estimated payment is required, the estimate is just an approximation of the actual cost that varies from one election to another election and may be significantly more or less than the estimate, depending on the actual number of candidates filing statements. Accordingly, the City Clerk is not bound by the estimate and may, on a pro rata basis, bill the candidate for additional actual expense or refund any excess paid depending on the final actual cost. In the event of underpayment, the City Clerk may require the candidate to pay the balance of the cost incurred. In the event of overpayment, the City Clerk shall prorate the excess amount among the candidates and refund the excess amount paid within 30 days of the election.
SECTION 4. Filing Fee.
Candidates will be required to pay a $25.00 filing fee when they submit their nomination papers as authorized in Elections Code Section 10228 and the Lancaster Municipal Code Section
2.04.050.
SECTION 5. Miscellaneous.
A. All translations shall be provided by professionally-certified translators contracted by the City.
B. The City Clerk shall allow (bold type) (underlining) (capitalization) (indentations) (bullets) (leading hyphens) to the same extent and manner as allowed in previous City elections.
C. 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 elections.
D. A candidate shall not include a photograph of himself or herself wearing any uniform, nor City logos.
E. A candidate may include reference to an occupation from which he or she has “retired” only if it is designated ads his or her primary occupation.
F. A candidate may designate his or her primary occupation to that of “business owner” only if his or her statement is accompanied by a certification, the form of which shall be provided by the city clerk, that is signed under penalty of perjury and states that the candidate owns a business.
Resolution No. 25-
SECTION 6. Additional Materials.
No candidate will be permitted to include additional materials in the sample ballot package.
SECTION 7.
The City Clerk shall provide each candidate or the candidate’s representative with a copy of this resolution at the time nomination petitions are issued.
SECTION 8.
All previous resolutions establishing Council policy on payment for candidate statements are hereby repealed.
SECTION 9.
This resolution shall apply only to the election to be held on April 14, 2026 and shall then be repealed.
SECTION 10.
The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 28th day of October, 2025, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
ATTEST: APPROVED:
______________________________ _________________________ ANDREA ALEXANDER,CMC R. REX PARRIS
City Clerk Mayor
City of Lancaster City of Lancaster
Resolution No. 25-
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss
CITY OF LANCASTER )
CERTIFICATION OF RESOLUTION
CITY COUNCIL
I, ___________________________, __________________________, City of Lancaster, CA. do hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of the original Resolution No. 25-__ , for which the original is on file in my office.
WITNESS MY HAND AND THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF LANCASTER, on this _______, day of ___________________________, __________.
(seal)
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