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HomeElections CodeDiv. 10Pt. 2Ch. 2Art. 2§ 10226 Nomination Paper Requirements

§ 10226 Nomination Paper Requirements

Elections Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 10226 Nomination Paper Requirements

This law tells people how to fill out a nomination paper and circulator affidavit for a municipal election, and it requires that the paper be filed on time or the circulator could be charged with a misdemeanor.

Key Takeaways

  • •The nomination paper must include a signed affidavit from the circulator.
  • •The circulator must be at least 18 years old and provide their correct residence address.
  • •Signatures must be collected within the stated date range and cannot exceed the number of open positions.

Example

A volunteer is gathering signatures to get a candidate on the ballot for a city council race that has three open seats.

The volunteer must complete the nomination paper, sign an affidavit stating they are 18 or older, list their address, and confirm the signatures were collected within a specific date range. They also must not collect more signatures than there are seats (three). If they do, the paper is invalid.

How to Calculate

MaxSignatures = Number of positions to be filled

  1. Determine how many positions are available (e.g., 3 seats).
  2. Count the number of signatures collected for that candidate.
  3. Compare the count to MaxSignatures.
  4. If the count is greater than MaxSignatures, the nomination paper is invalid.

A candidate is running for one of three council seats.

Result: 4 > 3, so the nomination paper exceeds the allowed number of signatures and must be rejected.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 10226 Nomination Paper Requirements

(a) The nomination paper shall be in substantially the following form: NOMINATION PAPER I, the undersigned signer for ______ for nomination to the office of ____, to be voted for at the municipal election to be held on the ____ day of ____, 20__, hereby assert as follows: I am a resident of the municipality of ____ and registered to vote at the address shown on this paper. I am not at this time a signer of any other nomination paper of any other candidate for the above-named office, or in case there are several places to be filled in the above-named office, I have not signed more nomination papers than there are places to be filled in the above-named office. My residence is correctly set forth after my signature hereto: Name  Residence  (b) The affidavit of the circulator shall read as follows: AFFIDAVIT OF THE CIRCULATOR I, ______, solemnly swear (or affirm) all of the following: 1.That I am 18 years of age or older. 2.That my residence address, including street and number, is .  [If no street or number exists, a designation of my residence adequate to readily ascertain its location is .] 3.That the signatures on this section of the nomination paper were obtained between _____, 20__, and _____, 20__; that I circulated the petition and I witnessed the signatures on this section of the nomination paper being written; and that, to the best of my information and belief, each signature is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be. Signed Subscribed and sworn to before me this ___________ day of _____________, 20__. (SEAL)Notary Public (or other official) _____ Examined and certified by me this ___________ day of _____________, 20__.   Elections Official WARNING: Every person acting on behalf of a candidate is guilty of a misdemeanor who deliberately fails to file at the proper time and in the proper place any nomination paper in the person’s possession which is entitled to be filed under Section 18202 of the Elections Code. (Repealed and added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 109, Sec. 8. (AB 2582) Effective January 1, 2025.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

nomination paperaffidavit of the circulatorresidencesignaturesmunicipal election

Related Statutes

  • § 10220 Municipal Candidate Nomination Rules
  • § 10221 Nomination Paper Signatures
  • § 10222 Nomination Paper Affidavit Requirement
  • § 10223 Nomination Paper Requirements
  • § 10224.5 Municipal Election Nomination Notice

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 10226.
View Official Source