An individual can run for only one City of Whittier elected office at a time. However, a person serving as a Council Member may run for Mayor or a district Council seat and a person serving as Mayor can run for a Council position.

Yes. Any incumbent Council Member can run for Mayor even if their term will not be completed by the date of the election.

Yes. Please be sure that all forms are properly completed. If there are any questions on any form or they are not completed properly, your nomination paper may not be accepted.

Any person who is at least 18 years of age on Election Day, a citizen of the United States, or a naturalized citizen, and a resident of the City of Whittier can register to vote with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk by filling out a Voter Registration Form.

If you move, change your name, or wish to change your political party affiliation, you must re-register to vote. You must be registered to vote at least 15 days before an election to be eligible to vote in that election. (NOTE: AB 1436 may allow registration up to and including the date of election if certain requirements are met.) Registration Forms are available at Whittier City Hall, US Post Offices, or online.

The City Council holds its regular meetings on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Other adjourned or special meetings are scheduled as City business necessitates. These meetings are open to the public.

The candidate’s statement may be withdrawn but not changed until 5:00 p.m. the business day following the close of the nomination period.

Yes. Councilmembers receive a monthly stipend. In addition, Councilmembers are eligible to receive some benefits. A complete list of compensative benefits is available from the Human Resources Department.

Yes. The fee covers the cost of printing your statement in the Sample Ballot. The estimated total for council candidates is $450 and for mayoral candidates $925.

All Candidate statement submitted are also uploaded on the City's Current Election web page after the close of the nomination period. Candidates can election to have their statement put on the website at no cost to them.

No. The governing body has the discretion to establish a filing fee, and the City of Whittier has not done so. The City provides equal opportunity for all candidates to fully participate by not charging a filing fee.

No. Check your candidate’s statement carefully before submitting it, as it will be printed exactly as submitted.

To hold any elective office within the City of Whittier, a person must be a United States citizen, 18 years of age or older, and be a registered voter of the City of Whittier at the time the nomination paper is issued. To run for a district seat, a candidate must reside in that district by the filing deadline. The City Clerk will not issue a nomination paper if the candidate is not a registered voter. (California Elections Code Section 201.)

If an elected official moves his or her place of residence outside of the City limits or ceases to be an elector of the City during his or her term of office, the office of that elected official shall immediately become vacant. (California Government Code Section 36502.)

Enter your address and find your council district number.

• District Locator

You may withdraw as a candidate at any time prior to the close of the nomination period. After that date, you may not withdraw, and your name will appear on the ballot.

These signatures will not be counted toward the 20 signatures required for you to run for office. The City Clerk must verify the signatures on all nomination papers, so file your nomination paper early to avoid this problem. If you wait until the last day of the filing period to file and any sponsor signature, for any reason, is insufficient, it will not be counted toward the required signatures and you may not qualify as a candidate. If you file early, there will be time to check the signatures and notify you of any discrepancies, and you will then have an opportunity to circulate and submit a supplemental nomination paper.

The deadline to register to vote is 15 days before an election.

For additional information, contact the City Clerk’s Office at (562)567-9854. English and Spanish staff members are available during business hours and the City contracts for professional interpreter assistance in over 100 additional languages.

Voting districts map are available on the City’s website and from the City Clerk Department at City Hall, 13230 Penn Street, Whittier.

Yes. The period to be a Write-In Candidate for a contest is from 57 to 14 days prior to the election (Election Code 8601). Eligible electors can contact the City Clerk Department to pick up nomination papers.

For Mayoral candidates, any registered voter in the City of Whittier may sign your nomination paper.

For Council Member candidates, only registered voters that reside in your district may sign your nomination paper.

Candidate and/or their circulator may sign their own nomination paper. No voter may sign more than one nomination paper for the same office. If the voter does so, the voter’s signature shall count only on the first nomination paper filed that contains the voter’s signature. Each seat on the governing board is a separate office. Your nomination paper must contain at least 20 and not more than 30 signatures; a minimum of 20 must be verified for your nomination to be valid.

In June 2014, Whittier voters approved a change from citywide voting to by-district voting for four council districts and citywide voting for the Mayor. District boundaries were set with expert assistance to adhere to state law and after community input on what neighborhoods should stay together.