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HomeElections CodeDiv. 10Pt. 2Ch. 2Art. 4§ 10263 Election Results Certification

§ 10263 Election Results Certification

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

§ 10263 Election Results Certification

This law tells the city council when they have to meet after an election to announce who won and to put the new officers into their jobs.

Key Takeaways

  • •The council must meet no later than the fourth Friday after any election to announce results and install new officers.
  • •For a consolidated (combined) election, they can wait until the next regular council meeting after the 28‑day vote count, or call a special meeting for this purpose.
  • •The council must adopt a resolution that lists the election facts and declares the people with the most votes as the elected officers.

Example

A city holds an election on March 1. The council must get together by the fourth Friday after March 1 (which is March 26) to say who won and start the new officers. If it was a special combined election, they can wait until the next regular council meeting after the 28‑day vote count is finished.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 10263 Election Results Certification

Upon the completion of the canvass and before installing the new officers, the governing body shall adopt a resolution reciting the fact of the election and the other matters that are enumerated in Section 10264. The governing body shall declare elected the persons for whom the highest number of votes were cast for each office. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the governing body shall meet at its usual place of meeting no later than the fourth Friday after the election to declare the results and to install the newly elected officers. (b) For a consolidated election, the governing body shall meet at its usual place of meeting no later than the next regularly scheduled city council meeting following presentation of the 28-day canvass of the returns, or at a special meeting called for this purpose, to declare the results and to install the newly elected officers. (Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 785, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 2005.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

canvassgoverning bodyresolutionconsolidated election28-day canvass

Related Statutes

  • § 10262 Election Canvass Certification Deadlines
  • § 10260 Election Vote Counting Procedures
  • § 10261 Mail Ballot Vote Counting
  • § 10264 Election Results Recording
  • § 10265 Election Certificate And Oath

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 10263.
View Official Source