Municipal Elections

Voter Registration Deadline: 15 days before Election Day

Use the California Online Voter Registration System to register to vote!

Paper registration forms are available at the County Registrar of Voters Office, U.S. Post Offices, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and public libraries. Signed and completed forms must be returned in person or by mail, they cannot be faxed or e-mailed.

Eligibility

You can register to vote if you are:

• At lease 18 years old by Election Day
• A United States citizen and resident of California
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony, and
• Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

You can pre-register to vote if you are:

• At least 16 years old
• A United States citizen
• Not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony
• Your voter registration will become active when you turn 18

Campaign finance is governed by the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) of the State of California. All candidates for state and local office and any committee formed to support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure are required to file campaign disclosure statements. The FPPC has manuals that walk you through the process. It is the responsibility of the candidate and/or committee to file the required campaign disclosure statements in a timely manner. If you have any questions please consult the FPPC's campaign disclosure manuals or ask the FPPC for advice. 

Additionally, candidates running for local office are required to file Form 700 (Statement of Economic Interests). Investments, interests in real property, and business positions held on the date of filing your declaration of candidacy must be reported. The City of Palo Alto uses the online system eFile for entering and disclosing candidate's statements.

eFile Employee/Elected Official Login

eFile Public Portal

Other Resources

• FPPC Filing Schedule
• FPPC All Forms
• The Campaign Disclosure Manual 2 for Local Candidates
• Form 700 - Statements of Economic Interests

Palo Alto Municipal Code Regulations

Political signs must be erected in conformity with Section 16.20 in the Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC). Political signs do not require a permit but there are some regulations to follow.

1. No sign shall be placed on any public property, including but not limited to any city building, sidewalk, crosswalk, curb, street lamp post, hydrant, tree, shrub, tree stake or guard, railroad trestle, wire pole, street sign, or traffic sign.
2. Wall signs in residential districts shall not exceed an area of one square foot of sign for each forty square feet of wall area. Wall signs are allowed a minimum area of six square feet and maximum area of one hundred fifty square feet, regardless of wall area.
3. Political signs must be completely removed no later than six days following the day of the election to which it relates. Any political sign not removed within six days shall be considered abandoned and shall be removed by the Building Division.
4. Unsafe and unlawful signs may be removed by the Building Division or the Police Department.
5. Before placing any signs or sign structures within view of a county or state highway, a statement by a responsible party with a notarized signature must be filed with the Chief of the Highway Outdoor Advertising Program, State Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 942874, Sacramento, CA 94274- 0001, or 1120 "N" Street (5th floor), Sacramento, California 98514.

Reporting Non-Compliant Signs

Please contact the City's Code Enforcement Division through PaloAlto311 or the City Clerk's Office at City.Clerk@cityofpaloalto.org to report non-compliant signs.

Caltrans Regulations

Political signs must also meet the following criteria, as described in Section 5405.3 of the State Outdoor Advertising Act:

• Encourages a particular vote in a scheduled election.
• Is placed not sooner than 90 days prior to the scheduled election and is removed within 10 days after that election.
• Is no larger than 32 square feet.
• Has filed a Statement of Responsibility certifying a person who will be responsible for removing the sign.
• Shall not be placed within the right-of-way of any highway, or within 660 feet of the edge of and visible from the right-of-way of a classified landscaped freeway. 

State law directs the California Department of Transportation to remove unauthorized temporary political signs.

More information regarding Caltrans' regulations is available here or by calling (916) 654-6473.