• Be a registered voter and reside within the jurisdiction at the time nomination papers are issued
• Reside in the district in which you are running for Council seats
• A citizen of the United States
• 18 years of age or older

Click here to add your address and determine which district you live in.

Register to Vote or check your voting status through Register to Vote!

Track your Ballot when it's mailed, received and counted through Ballottrax

Nomination filing period opens July 13, 2026, and closes on August 7, 2026. If an incumbent fails to file by the deadline, the nomination period will be extended through August 12, 2026.

To set up an appointment for the issuance of nomination papers please contact the City Clerk's Office - ssanchez@indioca.gov or 760-391-4006.

Those interested in becoming a potential City Council candidate should review the following documents and codes:

• Fair Political Practices Commission’s Candidate Tool Kit
• California Elections Code Elections Code
• Indio Municipal Code Indio Municipal Code
• Candidate and Treasurer Online Video Tutorial for Candidates & Treasurers
• County of Riverside Registrar of Voters Elections

Signs on Property

Campaign signs may be posted or placed on private property (residential, commercial, or industrial) with prior property owner's permission.

Signs on City Property or Right of Way

Campaign signs SHALL NOT be posted or placed on City property or Right of Way. This includes streets, parks, medians, roadway landscaping, City facilities, street poles or utility boxes.

The City may, without prior notice, remove campaign signs that are placed on public property as described above. The City and its employees are not liable for any claims of damage or loss resulting from the removal and disposal of improperly placed signs. 

Campaign signs may be posted 60 days before the election and must be removed within 10 days after the election. Each candidate is held responsible for the posting and removal of his/her campaign signs. 

CAMPAIGN SIGNS 101

• • Permit not required
  • Must be on private property with prior consent of the property owner
  • Signs may not be placed on City property or Right of Way. This includes streets, parks, medians, roadway landscaping, City facilities, street poles or utility boxes
  • Signs cannot be placed in way that blocks line of sight or poses a hazard
  • Posted between September 4, 2026 - November 13, 2026 (remove within 10 days after the election)
  • City may remove any campaign sign that it deems improperly placed and dispose of it without prior notice
  • If you are thinking of placing a sign within a private community or planned development, make sure to check with the homeowner’s association because the signs may be subject to homeowner association regulations

Electioneering 
No person shall, on election day, or at any time a voter may be casting a ballot, within 100 feet of any election’s official’s office or any building or location containing a polling place (including outdoor curbside voting areas or other vote by mail drop off locations) do any of the following: 

- Circulate any petition of any kind
- Solicit a vote or speak to a voter on the subject of their ballot
- Place any signs or speak to any voter regarding voter qualifications
- Participate in any electioneering (visible or audible) activity

Electioneering is defined by Elections Code section 319.5 as visible display or audible dissemination of information that advocates for or against any candidate or measure on the ballot within the 100-foot limit specified. 

Post-Election Night 
Semifinal Official Canvass (Election Night Results) 
The semifinal official canvass will commence immediately upon the close of the polls at 8:00 p.m., November 3, 2026. The counting of ballots by the Registrar of Voters (ROV) will commence when all polls are closed. 

You may inquire about Election Night Semifinal results in two ways:

 View results as they are posted on the ROV website https://voteinfo.net/ 
 Call ROV main phone number (951) 486-7200

The Election Night Semifinal results will NOT provide precinct-by-precinct results or votes cast for write- in candidates. Those totals are only available in the Statement of the Vote which is released when the election is certified up to 30 days after the election. 

Final Official Canvass 
Election results are not final until the canvass is complete (refer to Division 15 of the Elections Code for procedural requirements and timeframes). It typically takes about 30 days to complete the Official Canvass and certify the official results of the election. The Official Statement of the Vote, showing the Official Final Results (totals, precinct by precinct results, and votes for qualified write-in candidates) is available from the ROV upon certification. 

City Council to Receive Certification of Results 
After the ROV certifies the results, the City Clerk will prepare the required resolution for the City Council to officially adopt the certified results. This will occur at the first available meeting in December. 

Elected Officers to be Seated 
Certificates of election will be issued by the City Clerk. 

The newly elected officer may be sworn in by the City Clerk at a time convenient to the official after the election has been certified by the Registrar of Voters and the City Clerk.