Elections

Elections in Millbrae

The City of Millbrae holds General Municipal Elections to elect council members. These elections take place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year. The next election for Members of the City Council representing Districts 1, 3, and 5 will be held on November 5, 2024.

The City Clerk serves as the Elections Official and is responsible for all local candidate filings, the issuance, and acceptance of nomination papers, City measures, and publication of all legal notices and campaign and conflict of interest filings required by the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Register to Vote

Paper registration cards are available at the Millbrae City Hall and Post Office. You can also register to vote or update registration information at the San Mateo County Election's Office and Vote Center. For more information, visit: smcacre.org/voter-registration.

You can also register to vote online at the Secretary of State's website.

Initiatives, Referendums and Recalls

The City Clerk's Office cannot interpret laws or offer legal advice, and, if applicable, we strongly suggest seeking legal counsel to ensure that your actions are in full compliance with California Elections Code.

Ballot Initiatives and Referendums

California Elections Code outlines the process for circulating petitions for ballot initiatives and referendums. The requirements may differ based upon the type of legislation to determine what applies to the situation, for more information, please consult California Elections Code Sections 9200-9226 and California Elections Code Sections 9235-9247.

Recall Initiatives

The California Secretary of State offers a detailed description of the process for initiating a recall for local officials.

By-District Elections

On February 22, 2022 the City of Millbrae City Council held its seventh and final public hearing on the proposal to establish district boundaries. On March 8, 2022 City Council adopted Ordinance Number 794 to establish the City's first district map for elections. View the adopted District map or lookup your district by address.

2022 Election: Districts 2 and 4
2024 Election: Districts 1, 3, and 5

To learn more about the districting process and the adoption of the current district map, please visit configuremillbrae.org.

Campaign Disclosures

The City Clerk serves as the 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. Campaign Statements and Statements of Economic Interest are available on the City's Campaign Disclosure Portal. If you wish to obtain a copy from the City Clerk's office, you can do so for $.10 per page.

Political Sign Regulations

Political signs may be erected in conformity with Section 10.10.300 in the Millbrae Municipal Code (MMC). Political signs do not require a permit or design review, but there are some regulations to follow.

Election signs shall be placed on private property with the consent of the private property owner and/or the occupant of the private property.
No signs shall be erected upon any public property or upon any public right-of-way as specified in MMC Section 10.10.340(A).
Signs shall be removed within ten days following the election by the person who erected the sign or the owner/occupant of the property upon which the sign is erected.
Each candidate, campaign committee, or authorized representative shall sign an affidavit assuring the removal of all election signs.

Keep in mind, the California Department of Transportation and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company also have regulations regarding the placement of political signs.

FAQs

Who Can Run for City Council Office?

Any member of the public who meets the requirement below may run for public office:

A Citizen of the United States
Be at least eighteen (18) years of age
Resident and registered voter of the district where office is sought at least 30 days before filing nomination papers with the City Clerk/Elections Official.

If you are interested in running for office, please email City Clerk Elaine Tran with questions or schedule an appointment by calling 650-259-2414.

What District am I in?

View the adopted District map or look up your district by address.

What is California Voter Participation Rights Act?

The California Voter Participation Rights Act (SB 415 ) is a State law that aims to improve voter turnout by combining local odd-year elections with even-year statewide elections. To comply with SB 415, the City Council voted on September 13, 2016 to move the City's general municipal election from an odd-year (November 2017) to an even-year General Election taking place November 2018. This change required extending the Councilmembers' terms by 12 months. This decision will allow the City to comply with the state law, potentially increase voter turnout, and share election costs with overlapping jurisdictions.

What is Electioneering?

"Electioneering" is defined in California Elections Code section 319.5 as "the visible display or audible dissemination of information that advocates for or against any candidate or measure on the ballot within 100 feet of a polling place, a vote center, an elections official's office, or a satellite location under Section 3018." This effectively means electioneering cannot be conducted within 100 feet of the entrance to the polling place. Prohibited materials and information include, but are not limited to:

A display of a candidate's name, likeness, or logo
A display of a ballot measure's number, title, subject, or logo
Buttons, hats, pencils, pens, shirts, signs, or stickers containing information about candidates or issues on the ballot
Any audible broadcasting of information about candidates or measures on the ballot
Loitering near or disseminating visible or audible electioneering information near a vote-by-mail drop-box

It should be noted that a campaign slogan or a political movement slogan (or the initials representing the campaign or political movement - i.e. BLM, MAGA, etc.) does not constitute electioneering under the legal definition of electioneering as stated above. Accordingly, the display of slogans on clothing, face coverings, and/or buttons is not prohibited.

Any person who violates any of the provisions of Election Code 18370 Electioneering is guilty of a misdemeanor.

What is Corruption of the Voting Process?

Any person who conspires to violate Election Code 18541 Corruption of the Voting Process/Intimidation of Voters is guilty of a felony. Punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than 12 months, or in the state prison. A person shall not, with the intent of dissuading another person from voting, within the 100-foot limit specified in subdivision (b), do any of the following:

Solicit a vote or speak to a voter on the subject of marking the voter's ballot.
Place a sign relating to voters' qualifications or speak to a voter on the subject of the voter's qualifications except as provided in Section 14240.
Photograph, video record, or otherwise record a voter entering or exiting a polling place.
Obstruct ingress, egress, or parking.

The activities described in subdivision (a) are prohibited within 100 feet of either of the following:

The entrance to a building that contains a polling place as defined by Section 338.5, an elections official's office, or a satellite location specified in Section 3018.
An outdoor site, including a curbside voting area, at which a voter may cast or drop off a ballot.

A person shall not, with the intent of dissuading another person from voting, do any of the following within the immediate vicinity of a voter in line to cast a ballot or drop off a ballot:

Solicit a vote.
Speak to a voter about marking the voter's ballot.
Disseminate visible or audible electioneering information.

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