Santa Barbara candidates face Aug. 7 deadline for 2026 city election
Santa Barbara’s nomination period for the 2026 general municipal election enters its final week Monday, with completed nomination papers due by 5 p.m. Friday, August 7.
The Tuesday, November 3 ballot will include the mayor’s office and one four-year City Council seat in each of Districts 4, 5 and 6. The city’s nomination period runs from July 13 through August 7.
Where candidates must file
Nomination papers may be obtained from the Santa Barbara City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101. Completed papers must be filed at the same location.
The city’s filing notice lists filing dates of July 13-16, July 20-24, July 27-30 and August 2-7, 2026. The stated filing hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mayoral deadline could move to August 12
A separate extension could apply to the mayoral contest. If the incumbent mayor does not file nomination papers by 5 p.m. Friday, August 7, candidates other than the incumbent may file completed papers for the mayor’s race until 5 p.m. Wednesday, August 12.
The extension is conditional and applies only to the mayoral contest under that circumstance. It does not automatically extend the filing deadlines for the District 4, District 5 or District 6 races.
The official election notice also states that the extension is not available when there is no incumbent eligible to be elected. The city has not established through these notices that the extension will occur.
What the July 24 notice showed
The city’s July 24 Notice of Offices and Nominations said nomination papers had not been issued to incumbents for any of the open offices as of that date.
That was a dated filing-status snapshot. It did not establish the final candidate field, completed filings or ballot qualification, and candidate activity could change before the August 7 deadline.
What voters should expect next
The city lists August 8 through August 17 as the 10-day public examination period for candidate statements. That period allows public review of statements; it is not an additional nomination period.
Santa Barbara Resolution No. 2026-043 formally called the election for the mayor and three four-year City Council terms in Districts 4, 5 and 6.
For questions about city-office nominations, the City Clerk’s Office is at City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street. The city lists the office phone number as (805) 564-5309 and its regular hours as 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with alternate Friday hours.
Sources
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