June 9, 2026
Agenda Item No. 7
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
Lena Shumway, City Clerk - 949-644-3005, [email protected] PREPARED BY:
Lena Shumway, City Clerk
TITLE:
Resolution Nos. 2026-35, 2026-36 and 2026 - 37: Calling the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election ABSTRACT:
Under the provisions of Newport Beach City Charter Section 1000, a General Municipal Election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in each even-numbered year for the election of municipal officers and for such other purposes as the City Council may prescribe. The November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election will include the election of four City Councilmembers representing Districts 1, 3, 4 and 6, each for a four-year term. This staff report presents the resolutions necessary to call and give notice of the election, request consolidation with the Statewide General Election, and establish regulations pertaining to candidates' statements.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
a) Determine that the action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because it will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; b) Adopt Resolution No. 2026-35, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Calling for the Holding of a General Municipal Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for the Election of Members of the City Council as Required by the Provisions of the City Charter; c) Adopt Resolution No. 2026-36, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Requesting the Board of Supervisors of the County of Orange to Consolidate a General Municipal Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with the Statewide General Election to be Held on the Same Date Pursuant to California Elections Code Section 10403 for the Purpose of Electing Members of the City Council; and d) Adopt Resolution No. 2026-37, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Adopting Regulations for Candidates for Elective Office Pertaining to Candidates Statements to be Submitted to the Voters at an Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
DISCUSSION:
Under the provisions of Newport Beach City Charter Section 1000, a General Municipal Election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in each even-numbered year for the election of municipal officers and for such other purposes as the City Council may prescribe. City Charter Section 1002 indicates that, unless otherwise provided by ordinance, all elections shall be held in accordance with the provisions of the Elections Code of the State of California, so long as those provisions do not conflict with the City Charter.
Prior to the statutory submission deadline, the City Council must submit to the Orange County Registrar of Voters (ROV) a resolution calling and giving notice of the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election, request consolidation with the Statewide General Election, and set regulations pertaining to candidates' statements. The November 3, 2026 election will include the election of four Councilmembers for Districts 1, 3, 4 and 6, each for four-year terms. The current incumbents whose seats are subject to election are Joe Stapleton (Councilmember, District 1), Erik Weigand (Councilmember, District 3), Robyn Grant (Councilmember, District 4) and Lauren Kleiman (Mayor, District 6), all of whom hold terms expiring in 2026.
The candidate filing period for the November 3, 2026, election will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, July 13, 2026, and close at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, August 7, 2026. If an incumbent for any of the four districts does not file during the standard nomination period, the filing period for that district shall be extended in accordance with the California Elections Code to allow other candidates to file.
It is optional for each candidate to submit a candidate's statement. If a candidate chooses to have a statement included in the Sample Ballot, the resolution stipulates that the costs involved are to be paid by the candidate at the time the nomination paper is filed. It is recommended that each candidate’s statement be limited to 200 words; based on the estimate from ROV, the deposit for printing a 200-word statement in the Sample Ballot is $1,000. Should the actual cost of printing a candidate's statement be less than the deposit paid, the difference will be refunded to the candidate following the election.
In addition to the Councilmember elections, the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election ballot will include the following measure submitted to the voters of the City of Newport Beach that has been already approved by the City Council in 2025:
MEASURE – CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT
Shall the measure to amend the City of Newport Beach's General Plan Land Use Element allowing 2,900 new affordable housing units (2,160 reserved for extremely low-, very low-, and low-income households; and 740 for moderate-income households) with densities of 20–50 dwelling units per acre, plus State of California allowed housing density bonuses, in Dover/Westcliff (174), Newport Center (870), West Newport Mesa (406), Airport Area (929), and Coyote Canyon (521), be adopted? The resolutions calling and giving notice of the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election to elect four City Councilmembers, requesting consolidation with the Statewide General Election, setting regulations for Candidates' Statements, and placing the General Plan Amendment measure on the ballot are presented as Attachments A, B, C and D, respectively. The Notice of Election will be provided in accordance with Elections Code requirements.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact related to this item.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(1) (the activity does not involve the exercise of discretionary powers; (2) the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment); and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
NOTICING:
The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item).
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A – Resolution No. 2026-35: Calling Election Attachment B – Resolution No. 2026-36: Requesting Consolidation Attachment C – Resolution No. 2026-37: Establishing Candidates Statement Regulations Resolution Nos. 2026-35, 2026-36 and 2026 - 37: Calling the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election June 9, 2026
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