The nomination period for the November 2026 election will be July 13, 2026 - August 7, 2026. With limited exception, when an incumbent does not file, nomination papers may only be issued to candidates running in the incumbents district. Nomination papers must be issued and filed within five days pursuant to the Elections Code section 10407(b), which will be August 12, 2026.

To run for City Council, a candidate must be at least 18 years of age, a registered voter of the district from which they are running at the time the nomination papers are issued and have no felony convictions related to public monies pursuant to Elections Code Section 20.

File your FPPC form 501. This is the Candidate Intention Statement and is required that California candidates file for each election for a specific office. File this form to declare your intent to run for local office before soliciting or spending campaign funds. A link to Form 501 can be found here CA Form 501

Candidates may set up an appointment to be issued nomination papers by emailing cityclerk@cypressca.org or by contacting the City Clerk's office at (714) 229-6685. The appointments are approximately 30-45 minutes. Nomination papers are not available online and must be issued in person. During the issuance appointment, a return appointment for filing the nomination papers is also scheduled.

Candidates may craft and submit a statement to appear in the Orange County Voter Information Guide. Fees for candidate statements are set by the Orange County Registrar of Voters prior to the opening of the nomination period.  To assist candidates in the planning process, the cost is provided below:

Information about candidate committees and campaign disclosures can be found through the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). The FPPC’s Candidate Toolkit provides detailed information including forms and instructions, along with an overview of candidate responsibilities before, during, and after an election. 

https://www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/campaign-rules/candidate-toolkit-getting-started.html

Updated information related to the November 2026 General Municipal Election will be continuously posted on this webpage as required by law.

The City Council of Cypress adopted local Ordinance No. 1230 on contribution limits. The ordinance sets a $1,250 contribution limit per election to candidates for City office (excluding a candidate’s personal funds) and requires the City Clerk to adjust the limit for inflation every two years starting in 2029.

The ordinance requires independent expenditure advertisements to disclose their top contributors, outlines documentation and formatting requirements for disclosures, and establishes civil and criminal penalties for violations. 

A copy of the ordinance is available HERE. 

Please note the following important facts about how Cypress regulates signs during election season. 

Signs are regulated by 3.15.110 C of the Cypress Municipal Code, which requires:

Political campaign signs. Signs advertising a political candidate, group of candidates, political party, or ballot measure in any district, municipal, county, state, federal election ("political signs") shall not be erected more than 45 calendar days prior to the election to which the signs may pertain, and shall be removed not later than 10 calendar days after the date of the election to which the signs may pertain, subject to the following regulations:

1.   No person shall post or otherwise affix any political campaign sign upon any public facility located within any public right-of-way, or in or upon any other public property or right-of-way, or in or upon any other property, easement, or other right-of-way owned or controlled by the City of Cypress, including, but not limited to any street, median, island, sidewalk, traffic signal, utility pole, wires, traffic control device, building, wall, bridge, railroad trestle, hydrant, street tree, shrub, tree stake or tree guard, or street sign; and

2.  Political signs shall contain the committee name, address, and, if available at the time of posting, any state-law required identification number; and

3.  Any political sign installed or placed illegally shall be forfeited and subject to confiscation. In addition to other remedies, the city shall have the right to recover from the owner of such illegally installed political sign, the cost of removal and disposal of the same. Such cost shall be established by resolution of the city council. The director of public works, or his/her designee, shall notify the owner or organization of any such illegally posted sign of the confiscation of the same. Such owner or organization may collect any such sign from the public works department within 20 days of notification. Any such sign not collected within the twenty-day period may be destroyed by the city without further notice.