To vote in the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election, you must be registered to vote at your current residence. Voters may register to vote, update their registration, or check their registration status through the California Secretary of State.

• Register to vote or update your voter registration
• Check your voter registration status

Palm Desert uses five single-member City Council districts. Voters elect the City Council representative for the district in which they reside.

The November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election will include Districts 4 and 5. Residents can use the District Locator Interactive Map to confirm their City Council district.

• Access the District Locator Interactive Map

Write-In Candidate Filing Period

The regular nomination period for the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election has closed. Qualified individuals may file as write-in candidates from September 7 through October 20, 2026. Candidates must meet the same eligibility requirements as other candidates and file a Declaration of Write-In Candidacy, nomination petition with the required signatures, Form 700, and applicable campaign disclosure forms with the City Clerk’s Office by the deadline. Only votes cast for qualified write-in candidates who complete the filing process will be counted.

To obtain a filing packet or schedule an appointment, contact the City Clerk’s Office

Candidate Qualifications
To run for City Council, a candidate must:

• Be a registered voter at their current residence in the City of Palm Desert.
• Reside in the district for which they are running.
• Be a United States citizen.
• Obtain between 20 and 30 signatures from voters in the district.
• Not be disqualified from holding office under the California Constitution or laws of the State of California.

How to Begin the Candidate Process

Before soliciting or receiving campaign contributions, prospective candidates should contact the City Clerk’s Office to ensure all required preliminary forms have been filed.

The City Clerk’s Office can assist with local filing procedures but cannot provide legal advice or detailed guidance on Fair Political Practices Commission forms. Candidates are encouraged to review FPPC guidance and consult their own legal or compliance advisor as needed.

• Contact the City Clerk's Office:
  • Phone: (760) 346-0611
  • Email: cityclerk@palmdesert.gov
• View Candidate Disclosure Manual
• Fair Political Practices Commission

Final Roster of Candidates.

District	Candidate	Status	Email
District 4	Polly, Jonathon	Nomination Verified	jonathon.polly@gmail.com
District 4	Trubee, Evan	Nomination Verified	info@evantrubee.com
District 5	Greenwood, John	Nomination Verified	john@johnforpalmdesert.com
District 5	Perry, Ralph	Nomination Verified	ralphepery@aol.com

The City provides public access to campaign finance statements filed by candidates and committees.

The electronic filing system includes campaign finance statements from calendar year 2023 forward. Older statements are available through the City’s public records system.

• View Campaign Finance Statements, 2023 to Present
• View Archive Campaign Finance Statements, 2022 and older

In accordance with Assembly Bill 571, the City Council adopted local campaign contribution regulations under Palm Desert Municipal Code Section 2.38.060.

Candidates and committees are responsible for complying with all applicable local and state campaign finance laws. For detailed campaign finance guidance, candidates should consult the Fair Political Practices Commission, the FPPC Campaign Disclosure Manual, or their own legal or compliance advisor.

• Fair Political Practices Commission
• FPPC Campaign Disclosure Manual

Campaign signs must comply with applicable City regulations. Candidates and property owners are responsible for ensuring that campaign signs are placed safely and lawfully.

Do:

• Obtain permission from the property owner before placing a sign.
• On streets with sidewalks, place signs beyond the sidewalk and away from the street.
• On streets without sidewalks, place the closest part of the sign at least 10 feet back from the face of the curb.
• Keep medians, utility poles, traffic sign poles, and City-owned property free of signs.
• In City-owned residential housing, place signs only in the windows of individual units. Signs are not permitted in common areas or outside residential units.

Do Not:

• Place signs less than 10 feet from the curb.
• Attach signs to utility poles, traffic sign poles, or other signs.
• Install signs in medians or on City-owned property.
• Leave signs up more than 30 days after the election.

Enforcement:

Non-complying signs that create a threat to public safety may be removed.

Candidates with non-complying signs may be given 24 hours to remove the sign. If the sign is not removed, the City may abate the sign.

Space permitting, removed signs will be kept at City Hall for two weeks and may be retrieved at:

Palm Desert City Hall
73510 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260

Questions about campaign signs may be directed to Code Compliance at 760-776-6360.

Vote center, ballot drop-off, and election results information will be provided by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters as it becomes available.

Palm Desert voters are encouraged to check their voter registration status and review official County election information before Election Day.

• Riverside County Registrar of Voters
• Vote Center and Ballot Drop-Off Information
• Election Results

 The City Clerk’s Office oversees Palm Desert’s local election filing processes and coordinates with the Riverside County Registrar of Voters to administer municipal elections.

Responsibilities include:

• Preparing resolutions for general and special elections.
• Managing the candidate nomination process.
• Handling initiative, referendum, and recall filings.
• Publishing required notices.
• Certifying local election results.

The City Clerk’s Office can assist with local election procedures and filing requirements. However, the City Clerk’s Office cannot provide legal advice or detailed guidance on campaign disclosure forms required by the Fair Political Practices Commission.

For questions about FPPC forms or campaign disclosure requirements, candidates and committees should review the FPPC Campaign Disclosure Manual or contact the FPPC directly

• Fair Political Practices Commission

 The following external resources may be helpful for voters, candidates, and committees:

• California Secretary of State
• Riverside County Registrar of Voters
• Fair Political Practices Commission
• FPPC Campaign Disclosure Manual
• Palm Desert District Locator Interactive Map

For questions about Palm Desert municipal elections, candidate filing appointments, nomination documents, or local election procedures, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.

City Clerk’s Office
Palm Desert City Hall
Administrative Services Building
73510 Fred Waring Drive
Palm Desert, CA 92260

Phone: 760-346-0611
Email: cityclerk@palmdesert.gov
Business Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Holidays: Closed on major public holidays