TO:Andrew P. Powers, City Manager
FROM:Laura B. Maguire, City Clerk
DATE:May 19, 2026
SUBJECT: November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election and League of Women Voters Candidate Forum
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Adopt resolution calling for and giving notice of a General Municipal Election on November 3, 2026, to elect three Councilmembers (Districts 1, 2, and 3).
2. Adopt resolution requesting consolidation of the General Municipal Election with the Statewide Gubernatorial General Election (including contract with Ventura County for Election Services).
3. Adopt resolution adopting candidate statement guidelines and costs.
4. Authorize expenditure in an amount not to exceed $50,000 in FY 2026-27 from A/C #001-2110-611-6910 (General Fund - Election Costs) for contract services with Ventura County Elections Division.
5. Authorize expenditure in the amount of $3,200 in FY 2026-27 from A/C #001- 2110-611-6910 (General Fund - Election Costs) and approve, upon request, League of Women Voters’ (LWV) use of the Scherr Forum Theatre and Thousand Oaks Television (TOTV) for a televised Candidate Forum on a date to be determined contingent on theatre availability.
6. Find that this is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act.
LEVINE ACT ITEM: No
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
No Additional Funding Requested. $50,000 for contracted election services, $3,200 for the LWV forum, and costs related to the annual December City Council Reorganization are included in the Adopted FY 2026-27 General Fund Budget.
November 3, 2026, Election and City Council Candidate Forum May 19, 2026
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Costs incurred for staff time for performing election duties, such as administering the nomination process, preparing candidate materials, responding to candidate and public inquiries and information requests, managing mandatory filings of campaign disclosures, conducting any necessary research, and other activities related to the November 3, 2026, election are included in the Adopted FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27 General Fund Budgets.
BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to law relating to General Law Cities in the State of California, a General Municipal Election will be held on November 3, 2026, for the purpose of electing three Councilmembers to four-year terms (District 1, District 2, and District 3).
General Municipal Election – Three resolutions have been prepared for adoption by City Council pursuant to the California Elections Code:
1. Calling for and giving notice of the General Municipal Election.
2. Requesting Ventura County Board of Supervisors to approve consolidation of the General Municipal Election with the Statewide Gubernatorial General Election and to provide election services.
3. Adopting regulations pertaining to candidate statements, including estimated costs of printing candidate statements (District 1 - $1,800, District 2 - $1,700, and District 3 - $1,800).
Candidate Forum – In the past, LWV has requested approval to hold televised candidate forums in the Scherr Forum Theatre, contingent on theatre availability. Should LWV again express interest in hosting a Candidate Forum, staff request an allocation of up to $3,200 to cover theatre costs. City Council has allowed the use of City funds for such non-partisan, educational events in past election cycles. Most recently, LWV held a successful forum on April 30, 2026, for the candidates of the various races for the June 2, 2026, Primary Election.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
Resolution Calling For and Giving Notice of Election – Pursuant to California laws for General Law Cities, this resolution: calls the election for November 3, 2026, in order to elect three members to the City Council to four-year terms (District 1, District 2, and District 3); ensures ballots are in conformance with State Law; authorizes the City Clerk to prepare election materials as necessary; ensures polling is conducted in conformance with State Law; directs the City Clerk to provide notice of the election and authorizes expenses to be paid to the County of Ventura upon presentation of an invoice for said election (Attachment #1).
November 3, 2026, Election and City Council Candidate Forum May 19, 2026
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Section 7 of the Resolution Calling For and Giving Notice of Election explains how the Ventura County Clerk is directed to resolve a tie vote at the municipal election. On June 5, 2018, and reaffirmed for every subsequent election, City Council adopted a resolution providing for the breaking of a tie vote to be determined by lot. The adopted resolution assists the City with its fiscal responsibility amid the rising cost of conducting elections which has significantly increased during the past two decades and continues to increase with each election (Attachment #2).
Resolution Requesting Ventura County Board of Supervisors to Consolidate the General Municipal Election with the Statewide Gubernatorial General Election – California Elections Code § 10403 authorizes the consolidation of the City’s November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election with the Statewide Gubernatorial General Election. The resolution also authorizes the County of Ventura to canvass the returns and authorizes payment to the County of Ventura for specified election services (Attachment #3).
Resolution Adopting Regulations for Candidate Statements – Pursuant to California Elections Code § 13307 and the Federal Voting Rights Act, candidates may submit a candidate statement in accordance with established requirements.
The resolution also provides for Spanish translation of voting material as required by the Federal Voting Rights Act. Estimated candidate statement printing costs are estimated at $1,800 for District 1, $1,700 for District 2, and $1,800 for District
3. The resolution establishes that candidates must submit an initial deposit to the City for printing costs, with additional charges billed if actual costs exceed the deposit or issued a refund if actual costs are less than the deposit (Attachment #4).
Nomination Period – The nomination period for Thousand Oaks City Council candidates is July 13, 2026, through August 7, 2026. Since the 2026 election is the first election by district for Districts 1, 2, and 3, there will not be an extension of the nomination period due to an incumbent choosing to not run, as there are no incumbents in Districts 1, 2, or 3. During the nomination period, City Clerk staff furnishes interested persons all necessary paperwork to run for office (i.e., Nomination Papers, Conflict of Interest Form, optional Candidate Statement, etc.), as well as information related to State and local campaign regulations, including disclosure requirements.
Candidate Information/Requests – Once the nomination period closes and candidates are certified by the Ventura County Elections Division, additional reference material resources are provided to certified candidates (i.e., Budget, Agenda Packets, etc.). This information assists in familiarizing candidates with City functions. Per the City’s current User Fee Manual, the first 20 pages of copies are provided free of charge; additional copies will be charged at the standard City fee as outlined in the User Fee Manual.
November 3, 2026, Election and City Council Candidate Forum May 19, 2026
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Voter’s Choice Act – The California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) passed in 2016 as Senate Bill 450. The VCA modernizes elections in California by allowing counties to conduct elections under a model which provides greater flexibility and convenience for voters. This election model allows voters to choose how, when, and where to cast their ballot by mailing every voter a ballot, expanding in-person early voting, and allowing voters to cast a ballot at any Vote Center in Ventura County. Voters will have three ways to return their ballot: mail the ballot, drop the ballot in a secure county ballot drop box, or visit any Vote Center in the county.
As with the past two primary and non-primary elections, traditional polling places will be replaced by vote centers. Voters will have the choice to cast a ballot in- person at any Vote Center in their county instead of a single polling location. Vote Centers look and feel like polling places but provide additional modern features to make voting easy and convenient, including voting in-person, dropping off a ballot, getting a replacement ballot, voting using an accessible voting machine, getting help and voting material in multiple languages, registering to vote, or updating voter registration.
Under the VCA guidelines, the Ventura County Elections Division will initially open 11 vote centers countywide on October 24, 2026. All 52 Vote Centers in the county will open starting October 31, 2026. Prior to election day, the Vote Centers will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On election day, all vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Candidate Forum – LWV is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with the mission to encourage informed and active participation of citizens in government through education and advocacy. LWV provides a platform for voters to learn about who and what will be on their ballot. They host neutral candidate forums or debate events for a variety of elections throughout the state and country, where candidates are invited to participate in educating and engaging the public regarding items that will appear on the ballot.
The City will not co-host or co-sponsor the event, nor does it support or endorse any individual candidates; instead, City will allow the use of a City facility for LWV to host its own non-partisan event for the purpose of educating and engaging the public.
The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Campaign Manual states that where a non-partisan organization hosts a debate or other forum and at least two opposing candidates for the same position attend, the payment for the cost for the event is not a contribution to the candidates.
If City Council approves the payment of Scherr Forum fees by the General Fund, and LWV requests to hold a Candidate Forum, LWV will follow the Televised November 3, 2026, Election and City Council Candidate Forum May 19, 2026
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Candidate Forums Policy as adopted by City Council on April 24, 2012, all relevant election laws, and rules of the FPPC. The Cultural and Community Services Department and TOTV will coordinate the date, and the event will be contingent upon theatre availability.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE:
Meets the following City Council goals:
B. Provide municipal government leadership which is open and responsive to residents, and is characterized by ethical behavior, stability, promoting public trust, transparency, confidence in the future, and cooperative interaction among civic leaders, residents, business representatives, and staff, while recognizing and respecting legitimate differences of opinion on critical issues facing the City.
C. Operate City government in a fiscally and managerially responsible and prudent manner to ensure that the City of Thousand Oaks remains one of California's most desirable places to live, work, visit, recreate, and raise a family.
Attachments:
Attachment #1 – Resolution Calling for and Giving Notice of General Municipal Election
Attachment #2 – Resolution No. 2018-033
Attachment #3 – Resolution Requesting Consolidation of Election Attachment #4 – Resolution Adopting Regulations for Candidate Statements
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