No, there are no campaign finance rules or regulations in the City Charter or Administrative Code that apply to Neighborhood Council Elections. However, candidates are restricted from using City resources and City logos for their campaigns.
The portal can only accept English and Spanish translations at this time. However, candidates can use translated statements in languages other than English or Spanish in their own campaign material.
Yes, if you want to run again in 2019, you will need to create a new login and fill out the candidate application form again. If you want to use the same photo or personal statement as you did in a previous election, you may do so if you have those things on file, but you will have to upload them again with this new application. You may also use the same qualifying documents as you used in a prior election if they are still appropriate to the seat you are running for, but you will have to re-submit those documents again, also, as City Clerk does not keep them on file, to protect your security.
Yes, you still need to register as a Neighborhood Council voter, even if you’re registered already to vote in national elections.
Neighborhood Council elections happen on a series of regional election dates between March 31 – June 20, 2019. Look for your Council on the list on the Elections Dates on this page to see your Election Day.
Neighborhood Councils vary according to whether they require voters to provide proof of how they qualify as a stakeholder, or allow voters to self-affirm their stakeholdership in that Council. “Documentation” Councils ask voters to prove both their identity and their stakeholdership. This may require one or two documents, depending on the stakeholder type. For example, a local resident may simply show a photo ID that lists their name and an address within a Council’s boundaries, and that will be enough to qualify them, but someone who works within the area may need to show both their photo ID and an additional document like a pay-stub to show proof that they work locally and that their employer is within a Council’s boundaries.
Voting age varies between Neighborhood Councils, with the most common minimum age being 16. To view the voting age for your Council, select it from the list at http://EmpowerLA.org/Councils to open their webpage, then click Bylaws near the bottom on on the right side of the page; open the Bylaws document; and go to the last page of that document, which will contain all election rules for that Council, including the minimum age to run or vote.
Enter your address in the search bar at http://EmpowerLA.org/city-map, then click on the area where your marker appears to identify your Council.
Select your Neighborhood Council from the list at http://EmpowerLA.org/Councils to view their webpage. Polling places will be listed on each Council’s webpage by mid-March 2019.
Neighborhood Council elections are inclusive. They are open not just to residents who are US citizens, but also to those who work, own property or a business, go to school or church, or have some other substantial, ongoing participation within the community served by a particular Neighborhood Council. You do not need to be a US citizen or legal US resident to run for a seat, even if you are undocumented or were formerly incarcerated. However, candidates must meet the minimum age to qualify for the seat they are running for. You’ll see details about minimum age requirements for specific seats during the candidate registration process.
Neighborhood Council elections are inclusive. They are open not just to residential voters who are US citizens, but also to those who work, own property or a business, go to school or church, or have some other substantial, ongoing participation within the community served by a particular Neighborhood Council. You do not need to be a US citizen or legal US resident to vote, and may vote even if you are undocumented or were formerly incarcerated. However, all voters must be of the minimum voting age set by their Neighborhood Council. Voting age varies between Neighborhood Councils, with the most common minimum age being 16.
The definition of a community interest stakeholder will not change during the 2019 Neighborhood Council election cycle. Community interest stakeholders are those who do not live, work, or own property or a business within a Neighborhood Council’s boundaries, yet they still qualify as a stakeholder because they have some type of substantial, ongoing involvement with the community that Council serves. Examples of community interest stakeholders include students or parents of students at local schools; members of local churches; or those who are regular volunteers at a local non-profit.
The Office of the City Clerk is in charge of the 2019 Neighborhood Council elections. For questions about voting, your candidacy or Election Day, please call the City Clerk’s Neighborhood Council Election Section at (213) 978-0444 or email them at Clerk.ElectionsNC@lacity.org.
