2026 General Municipal Election
General Municipal Elections are held in the City of Mission Viejo on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of even-numbered years. The next General Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to elect five Councilmembers for Council Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
To commence the staggering of districts,
Council Districts 1, 3, and 5, shall be elected to serve a four-year term,
Council Districts 2 and 4 shall be elected to serve a two-year term and then in 2028 shall be elected to serve a four-year term.
View the adopted Ordinance 25-359
MISSION VIEJO COUNCIL DISTRICT MAP
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Nomination Period for November 3, 2026 Election
The City Clerk will issue Nomination Papers and Candidate Handbooks during the nomination period, which is Monday, July 13, 2026, through Friday, August 7, 2026. All required documents are to be filed before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 7, 2026.
Filing Period for Write-In Candidates
September 7 to October 20, 2026: Nomination papers may be obtained from the City Clerk, by appointment, during regular office hours Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (except Holidays). Appointments are highly recommended. All required documents are to be filed before 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
Sign Policy
Temporary Signs in the Public Right-of-Way Policy, for questions please contact Code Enforcement 949-470-3055.
Voter Services
Are you registered to vote? You must re-register if you:
- Move
- Change your name
- Change your party affiliation
Eligible residents 18 years and older can register to vote online.
For more information on elections, visit the Orange County Registrar of Voters at ocvote.gov or click on one of the following links:
Election Results provided by Orange County ROV
City Council Candidates
Qualified Candidates List and Public Information
Candidate List as of August 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. - In Order by District, and the Secretary of State's Randomized Alphabet Drawing for the November 3, 2026, General Election
| District | Name | Date Confirmed as a Qualified Candidate |
| 1 | Kristen Wilcox | 8/4/2026 |
| 1 | Robert "Bob" Ruesch | 7/29/2026 |
| 2 | Saga Conroy | 8/5/2026 |
| 2 | Peter Molinari | 8/7/2026 |
| 3 | Bryan Zahn | 8/6/2026 |
| 3 | Cynthia Vasquez | 8/3/2026 |
| 4 | Laura Lacko | 7/31/2026 |
| 4 | James Morrison | 8/7/2026 |
| 5 | Steven Thornton | 8/3/2026 |
Notices
Notice of Election (English/Spanish/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Farsi)
Notice of Nominees for Public Office (English/Spanish/Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese/Farsi)
Municipal Election History
View the Municipal Election results, including a history of ballot measure questions as they appeared on each ballot, voter registration data, a listing of all elected Council Members, and a list of all Mayors and Mayor Pro Tems.