Candidate Information

Candidate Requirements / Information

Anyone who is 18 years of age and is a resident and registered voter in Dublin may run for Mayor. Candidates for City Council must be Dublin residents and registered or living in the district for the seat in which they are seeking. The nomination period for the 2024 election will open on Monday, July 15, through Friday, August 9, 2024.
 
In lieu of a filing fee, potential candidates are required to gather 20 signatures of registered voters on a supplied nomination form. For candidates for Mayor, the signatures must be registered within Dublin. Candidates for City Council must gather signatures of registered voters within their district. 

Candidates who wish to have a statement of their qualifications published in the sample ballot, which goes to all registered voters, must pay their prorated share of the publishing/printing costs. This typically runs approximately $500 per candidate.

Interested in becoming a candidate for City of Dublin Mayor? City Councilmember?

City Clerk Marsha Moore is the Election Official who will assist you throughout the election. The following steps will give you an overview of how to get started. The City Clerk is available for questions at city.clerk@dublin.ca.gov or (925) 833-6650.

  • Review the Fair Political Practices Commission (“FPPC”) Campaign Disclosure Manual 2, which is available online at www.fppc.ca.gov. This manual provides information on campaign disclosure rules as required under the Political Reform Act.  FPPC provides advice by phone at 1-800-275-3772 or by e-mail at advice@fppc.ca.gov.
  • File FPPC Form 501 Candidate Intention Statement with the City Clerk before receiving contributions or spending one's own funds. (Blank forms are available from the City Clerk or at www.fppc.ca.gov and Campaign Disclosure Manual 2 gives detailed instructions for completing Form 501.)
  • File FPPC Form 410 Statement of Organization with the Secretary of State along with a filing fee of $50.00, made payable to the Secretary of State, within 10 days of receiving $2,000 in contributions. File a copy of the Form 410 with the City Clerk. (Blank forms are available from the City Clerk or at www.fppc.ca.gov and Campaign Disclosure Manual 2 gives detailed instructions for completing Form 410).
  • Review the information provided by the FPPC in their Candidate Tool Kit.

Campaign Contribution Limits

Based on an established schedule, candidates must file statements reporting all campaign contributions and expenditures for the designated time period. Candidates cannot accept more than $500 in campaign contributions from a single source. Dublin Municipal Code - Chapter 2.28