• June 17th - The City Clerk's Office is now accepting appointments for drawing Nomination Papers. To schedule an appointment, call (925) 372-3512.
• June 24th - The County Election's Office is holding a "How to Run for Office" workshop. View the flyer here for more information.
• July 15th - Nomination period begins!

Candidates must be registered to vote in Martinez for at least 30 days before filing nomination papers. To be a registered voter in the City, one must reside in the City of Martinez and be a U.S. citizen 18 years of age or older.

Candidates for City Council Districts 2 and 3 must reside in the respective District. To ensure this qualification is met, the City Clerk will verify voter registration status with the Contra Costa County Elections Office before issuing nomination papers.

• Use this Interactive Map to check which district you reside in by entering in your address!

NOMINATION PERIOD: JULY 15th - AUGUST 9th

Please note - The City Clerk's Office is now accepting appointment requests for the purpose of pulling nomination papers!

Nomination period opens Monday, July 15th and closes Friday, August 9th. During this time, Martinez residents who are interested in running for office can pull nomination papers from the City Clerk's Office.

To pull nomination papers, an appointment with the City Clerk is required. During this appointment, the City Clerk will confirm your eligibility and review the paperwork with you. This appointment will last roughly one-hour.

To submit nomination papers, an appointment with the City Clerk is required. During this appointment, the City Clerk will review your nomination papers for accuracy and completion. This appointment will last roughly a half-hour.

Candidates who intend to file nomination papers during the Nomination Period will be subject to filing obligations, pursuant to the Political Reform Act and Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), Government Code, Elections Code and/or City Municipal Code:

• Form 501: Candidate Intention Statement - Must be filed before soliciting or receiving any contributions, or before making expenditures on behalf of a candidacy. This Form must be filed in hardcopy with the City Clerk.
• Form 410: Statement of Organization of Recipient Committee - Must be filed within 10 days of receiving $2,000 in contributions. Note: Municipal elections are non-partisan.
• Form 700: Statement of Economic Interests - The Political Reform Act under Government Code Section 87200 requires officials and candidates or the elective offices specified in the Code to file Form 700, Statement of Economic Interests, at the time of filing nomination papers and periodically to disclose certain investments, interests in real property, sources of income, gifts, loans and business positions. State law requires that an original form be filed with the City Clerk at the same time nomination papers are filed. Note: Martinez Municipal Code Section 2.88.010 requires electronic filing of Form 700s and other forms required by Government Code Sections 87200 and 84100.
• Ballot Designations - The candidate’s designation of occupation or identification to be printed on the ballot shall not exceed three words. There are additional requirements and prohibitions under Section 13107 of the Elections Code.
• Campaign Contribution Limits - Campaign contributions are currently limited to $4,900 per contributor in aggregate as imposed by Assembly Bill 571.
• Candidate Written Statements (Optional) - If you choose to submit a statement for publication in the voter information guide sent to voters, the City Clerk will provide the appropriate form. Once filed, the statement may be withdrawn, but not changed, on or before the closing of the nomination period and until 3 p.m. of the next working day after the close of the nomination period. There are additional requirements and prohibitions in preparing this statement under Section 13307 of the Elections Code.

Electronic Campaign Filing Required! The City of Martinez requires electronic filing of campaign statements. Contact the City Clerk's Office to request a NetFile electronic campaign filing account to file campaign statements electronically.

Early Filing Obligations

• Some filing obligations may occur prior to the Nomination Period. For more information on filing obligations, visit FPPC’s “When and Where to File Campaign Statements” webpage.

Statement Cost

• There is a cost associated with filing a Candidate Written Statement which is set by the County Registrar of Voters. Please check with the City Clerk as the nomination period approaches to confirm the estimated cost. This cost is paid by each candidate who chooses to have their candidate statement published in the voter information pamphlet.

Electronic Campaign Filing

• The City of Martinez requires electronic filing of campaign statements. Contact the City Clerk's Office to request a NetFile electronic campaign filing account to file campaign statements electronically.
• The City’s Campaign Statement Public Portal contains financial information provided by candidates and committees. Use the Campaign Statement Public Portal to research campaign contributions and expenditures, review campaign statements filed by candidates and committees, or examine a committee's filing history by election.

Mass Mailing Requirements

• Government Code Section 84305 pertaining to mass mailing of election literature will be provided to each candidate when they file their Declaration of Candidacy.

Political Signs

• Posting of political signs are regulated under the City’s Municipal Code. Click here to view the code and regulations.

Public Disclosure of Records

• Nomination petitions and campaign statements are subject to public disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act. However, candidate statements are not subject to public disclosure until after the nomination period closes.

Disclosure of Campaign Contributions & Limits

• The City has not enacted any campaign contribution limits. As such, campaign contribution limits default to limits set forth in Assembly Bill 571.
• Assembly Bill 571 (Stats. 2019, Ch. 556, AB 571 Mullin), effective January 1, 2021, applies a default campaign contribution limit to city and county candidates when the city or county has not already enacted a contribution limit. The FPPC website provides a chart detailing the current limits per contributor, per election, for city and county candidates.
• Per Ordinance No.1160CS, the City of Martinez requires the disclosure of all contributions made in excess of $24 or more.

JULY 15 to AUGUST 9: Nomination Period

AUGUST 10 to AUGUST 19: Examination Period for All Ballot Designations and Candidate Statements for Those Contests Not in Extension

JANUARY 31, 2025: FPPC Semi-Annual Statement Due

• Deadline for all committees to file a Form 460 covering the period Oct. 23, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2024 unless the committee filed termination Forms 410 and 460 before Dec. 31, 2024.

Below are some links to resources and information that will help you through your campaign!

• Election 101: How to Run for Office
  • PowerPoint Presentation
  • Handout 
  • Q&As
  • Video Recording (Available upon Request - Please contact City Clerk's Office)
• How to Get Started Tutorial for Candidates and Treasurers (Video)
• Interactive District Map
• Contra Costa County Elections Division
  • As a candidate, you can purchase voter data and maps. For more information, please email data.map@vote.cccounty.us.
• Secretary of State - General Election
• Fair Political Practices Commission
  • FPPC Candidate Toolkit
  • FPPC Campaign Forms
  • Campaign Disclosure Handbook
  • FAQs for Campaign Disclosures and Filings
  • When and Where to File Campaign Statements
  • FPPC Workshops and Webinars
  • FPPC Advice Line
• Netfile for City of Martinez
  • Netfile Training