Election and Voter Information
Register to Vote
Voter registration information is available through the San Mateo County Election website
- California Voter Registration
- The City Clerk’s Office provides voter registration forms during office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm @ 330 W. 20th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403.
- We can assist you in locating your voting precinct on Election Day.
General Municipal Election
General Municipal Elections to elect council members are held in San Mateo on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. After the passage of Measure B in 2017 to move to even-year elections, the next scheduled election year is 2020.
Qualifications for Office
A person must be a registered voter of the City of San Mateo and have resided continuously in San Mateo for at least thirty days immediately preceding the appointment or final filing date for nomination papers.
Campaign Contributions
In 2017, the City Council adopted campaign contribution limits to City Candidate campaigns. Individual contributions cannot exceed $500 and organization contributions cannot exceed $1,000. Additionally, a candidate cannot personally make a loan to their campaign an amount which exceeds $15,000.
Elections - Role of the City Clerk
The City Clerk is responsible for the administration of all municipal elections by:
- Serving as Elections Official and issuing nomination papers to potential candidates;
- Serving as Elections Official for the initiative and referendum process;
- Serving as Filing Officer for Campaign Statements and Statements of Economic Interests as required by the Political Reform Act and administered by the Fair Political Practices Commission.
- Maintaining the City’s election history.