Elections

San Diego City Charter § 10

in effect

Section 10: Elections Elective officers of the City shall be nominated and elected by all of the electors of the City except that City Council members shall be nominated and elected by the electors of the district for which elective office they are a candidate. Commencing with the year 1996, the municipal primary elections to the office of Council member for Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7 shall be held on same date in each election year as the California State primary election, and the general municipal election for these offices shall be held on the same date as the California State general election for that year. Commencing with the year 2012, the election to the office of Council member for District 9 shall be held on the same date as the election to the office of Council member for Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7. Commencing with the year 1998, the municipal primary elections to the offices of Council member for Districts 2, 4, 6, and 8 shall be held on same date in each election year as the California State primary election, and the general municipal election for these offices shall be held on the same date as the California State general election for that year. Commencing with the next municipal primary and general elections following the redistricting occurring after the 2010 national decennial census, and every four years thereafter, the municipal primary and general elections to the office of Council District 9 shall be held. Commencing with the year 1984 the elections to the offices of Mayor and City Attorney shall be held every four (4) years. The municipal primary election for the offices of Mayor and City Attorney shall be held on the same date in each election year as the California State primary election, and the general municipal election for these offices shall be held on the same date as the California State general election for that year. All other municipal elections which may be held under this Charter shall be known as special municipal elections. All elective officers of the City shall be nominated at the municipal primary election. The two candidates receiving the highest number of votes for a particular elective office at the primary shall be the candidates, and only candidates, for such office and the names of only those two candidates shall be printed upon the ballots to be used at the general municipal election. In the event only one candidate has qualified for the ballot in the municipal primary election for a particular elective office, the sole qualified candidate receiving votes in the municipal primary election shall be deemed to be, and declared by the Council to be, elected to such office after the primary election results are certified. At the general municipal election held for the purpose of electing Council members, the electors of each Council district shall select from among the candidates chosen at the primary election in that district one candidate for the office of the Council member whose term expires the succeeding December. At the general municipal election held for the purpose of electing any other elective officer, there shall be chosen by all of the electors of the whole City from among the candidates chosen at the primary one candidate to succeed any other elective officer whose term expires in December succeeding the election. After the result of an election for any office is declared, or when an appointment is made, the City Clerk, under his or her hand and official seal, shall issue a certificate therefor, and shall deliver the same immediately to the person elected or appointed, and such person must within ten days after receiving such certificate file his official bond, if one be required for his office, and take and subscribe to the oath of office required of him by this Charter, which oath must be filed with the City Clerk. (Amendment voted 04-22-1941; effective 05-08-1941.) (Amendment voted 06-05-1956; effective 01-10-1957.) (Amendment voted 11-06-1962; effective 01-21-1963.) (Amendment voted 11-04-1975; effective 12-01-1975.) (Amendment voted 11-08-1988; effective 04-03-1989.) (Amendment voted 11-03-1992; effective 12-18-1992.) (Amendment voted 06-08-2010; effective 07-30-2010.) (Amendment voted 06-03-2014; effective 07-24-2014.) (Amendment voted 11-08-2016; effective 12-19-2016.)

Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/citycharter/Article%20II.pdf#page=7Fetched: 10/28/2026