Garden Grove Filing Period Open for Mayor, 3 Council Districts

Garden Grove’s nomination period for the November 3, 2026, general municipal election is open, giving prospective candidates until 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 7, to submit their paperwork.

The election will include the citywide mayoral contest and Garden Grove City Council races in Districts 1, 3 and 4. The filing period opened July 13. As of July 28, the deadline remains in the future, but candidates must complete the process through the City Clerk’s Office before the cutoff.

Which offices are on the ballot?

The mayor is elected at large, meaning the race is citywide. The council contests are district-based, so candidates for Districts 1, 3 or 4 must reside within the district they seek to represent.

Under the city’s candidate guide, a person seeking the mayor’s office or a council seat must be an elector and resident of Garden Grove. Council candidates must also reside within the applicable council district. Voters can use the city’s district map and address lookup to confirm district boundaries.

How candidates begin the filing process

Prospective candidates must make an appointment with the Garden Grove City Clerk to receive nomination forms and a candidate packet. The city’s guide directs candidates to schedule early in the nomination period by calling or emailing the City Clerk’s Office.

The candidate packet includes nomination paperwork, a ballot designation worksheet, campaign-disclosure materials and other election documents. It also includes information about the Fair Political Practices Commission’s requirements for local candidates.

The city guide identifies several FPPC forms, including Form 501, the Candidate Intention Statement, and Form 410, the Statement of Organization. Whether a candidate must file additional committee or campaign-statement forms depends on campaign activity and applicable disclosure rules. Form 700, the Statement of Economic Interests, is part of the required nomination filing.

Signatures and filing materials

The Garden Grove candidate guide says nomination papers must carry not less than 20 and not more than 30 valid signatures. Mayoral candidates must obtain signatures from registered Garden Grove voters. Council candidates must collect signatures from registered voters in the district they seek to represent.

The filing package includes the nomination form with signatures, ballot designation worksheet and FPPC Form 700. A candidate’s statement for the sample ballot and certain other documents are optional, but the city guide explains when optional materials and any required deposits must be submitted.

What residents should watch next

The August 7 deadline is the end of the nomination period, not an announcement of final election results. The filing period also does not by itself establish that every prospective candidate will qualify for the ballot.

Garden Grove residents considering a campaign should contact the City Clerk promptly for an appointment and use the city’s election information page and candidate guide to prepare. Voters can use those resources to understand which offices are scheduled for the November ballot while recognizing that the final candidate field may change as paperwork is reviewed and the ballot certification process moves forward.

Sources

• Garden Grove Election Information — City Clerk
• California FPPC Campaign Disclosure Manual