Escondido is a general law city governed by a five-member City Council. A Mayor and four (4) members of the City Council, along with the City Treasurer, are directly elected at large. There are no districts within the City and the Mayor and Council members share an equal vote on all matters. The term of office for each member is four years with staggered terms. The Mayor is the presiding officer of the City Council, Community Development Commission, Mobilehome Rent Review Board, and Escondido Joint Powers Financing Authority.
Escondido consolidates its General Municipal Elections with the Statewide General Elections held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years. In order to be elected as a Mayor, City Council Member, or Treasurer you must receive the highest number of votes cast (for Council, you must receive the highest or second highest votes cast).
The City Clerk serves as the election officer and is responsible for issuance of nomination papers, placing City measures on the ballot and conducting municipal elections in accordance with the Escondido Municipal Code, the Elections Code, and the Political Reform Act of 1974.
Escondido’s most recent General Municipal Election was held November 2, 2010. Sam Abed was elected as Mayor; Marie Waldron and Ed Gallo were elected as Council members. Mr. Abed’s election as Mayor created a vacancy on the City Council. Following an interest submission and a brief interview of 25 applicants on December 8, 2010, Michael Morasco was appointed as the Council member to fulfill Mr. Abed’s term of office (expiring on 2012).
Additional election information is available on the San Diego Registrar of Voters Web site at www.sdvote.com and the Secretary of State Web site at www.ss.ca.gov.
A history of Escondido's recent elections can be viewed online.
For more information concerning Escondido elections, please contact the City Clerk's office at 760-839-4617.
Next Election
Escondido's next General Municipal Election will be consolidated with the statewide general election on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. The election is for the purpose of selecting two Council members and one Treasurer. The nomination period for the election is Monday, July 16, 2012, to Friday, August 10, 2012. During this period prospective candidates need to schedule a meeting with the City Clerk to obtain nomination papers and other election-related materials. You must be a registered voter in Escondido at the time nomination papers are issued.
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