RESOLUTION NO. 26-4954B
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE, PERTAINING TO, AND COSTS OF, CANDIDATE STATEMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS AT THE CONSOLIDATED GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2026 WHEREAS, California Elections Code section 13307 provides the governing body of any local agency shall adopt regulations pertaining to materials prepared by any candidate for a municipal election, including costs of each candidate statement.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of murrieta, California, does resolve, declare, determine and order as follows:
SECTION 1. General Provisions. Pursuant to California Elections Code section 13307, each candidate for elective office to be voted for at the Consolidated General Municipal Election to be held in the City of Murrieta on November 3, 2026, may prepare a candidate's statement on an appropriate form provided by the City Clerk. Such statement may include the name, age, and occupation of the candidate and a brief description, not exceeding 400 words, of the candidate's education and qualifications expressed by the candidate himself/herself. Such 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 City Clerk’s Office 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 The statement may be withdrawn, but not changed, during the period for filing nomination papers and until 5:00 p.m. of the next working day after the close of the nomination period.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.
Pursuant to the Federal Voting Rights Act, candidate’s statements will be translated into all languages as required by the County of Riverside. The County is required to translate candidate’s statements in the following language: Spanish Candidates have the option to have their statement translated into another language and printed at an additional cost. Translation will be performed by the County of Riverside prior to publication.
The County will print and mail separate sample ballots and candidates’ statements in non-English languages (as required by the Federal Voting Rights Act) to only those voters who are on the county voter file as having requested a sample ballot in a particular language. The County of Riverside will make the sample ballots and candidates statements in the required languages available at all polling/voting sites, on the County’s website, and in the Election Official’s office.
SECTION 3. Payment.
A. Translations
a. Each candidate is required to pay for the cost of translating and printing his/her candidate statement in English and Spanish (and any language as required by the Federal Voting Rights Act and/or State law) in the voters’ pamphlet.
B. Printing
a. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidates statement in English in the main voter pamphlet. b. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidates statement in a foreign language required in (A) of Section 2 above, in the main voter pamphlet. c. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidates statement in a foreign language requested by the candidate per (B) of Section 2 above, in the main voter pamphlet. d. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidates statement in a foreign language required by (A) of Section 2 above, in the facsimile voter pamphlet. e. The candidate, at a cost, may opt for a digital distribution of their candidate statement only, foregoing the printing of their candidate statement in the voter pamphlet.
The City Clerk/Riverside County Registrar of Voters shall estimate the total cost of printing, handling, translating, and mailing each candidate statement filed pursuant to this section, including costs incurred as a result of a candidate choosing to translate a statement into another language, and 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 City of Murrieta his/her estimated pro rata share as a condition of having his/her statement included in the voters' pamphlet. The estimate is an approximation of the actual cost that varies from one election to another and the actual cost may be significantly more or less than the estimate, depending upon 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 each candidate for additional actual expense, or refund any excess paid, depending upon the final actual cost. In the event of underpayment, the City Clerk shall require the candidate to pay the balance of the cost incurred. In the event of overpayment, within 30 days after the election, the City Clerk shall pro-rate the excess amount among the candidates and refund to each candidate his/her share of the excess amount.
SECTION 4. Additional Materials. No candidate is permitted to include additional materials in the sample ballot package.
SECTION 5. Miscellaneous.
All translations shall be provided by professionally-certified translators pursuant to state and federal law.
The Elections Official shall allow underlining, capitalization, indentations, bullets, and leading hyphens to the same extent and manner as allowed in previous City elections.
The Elections Official shall comply with all recommendations and standards set forth by the California Secretary of State regarding occupational designations and other matters relating to elections.
SECTION 6. The City Clerk shall provide each candidate, or his/her representative, a copy of this resolution at the time nominating petitions are issued.
SECTION 7. All previous resolutions establishing City Council policy on payment for candidate statements are hereby rescinded.
SECTION 8. This resolution applies only to the election to be held on November 3, 2026, and shall then be rescinded.
SECTION 9. That the City Clerk is hereby directed to file a certified copy of this Resolution with the Board of Supervisors and the County Election Department of the County of Riverside.
SECTION 10. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
SECTION 11. Effective Date. This Resolution is effective on the day of its adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Murrieta at a regular meeting thereof held on the 16th day of June 2026.
Jon Levell, Mayor
ATTEST:
Cristal McDonald, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Tiffany Israel, City Attorney
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE )§
CITY OF MURRIETA )
I, Cristal McDonald, City Clerk of the City of Murrieta, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 26-4954 was duly passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Murrieta at the regular meeting thereof, held on the 16th day of June, 2026 and was signed by the Mayor of the said City, and that the same was passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Cristal McDonald, City Clerk
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