NeedlesNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Needles Mayor & City Council Election 2026

3 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 7 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 12 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Deadline to request a replacement mail ballot (Oct 27): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Every Needles voter picks one of two candidates for mayor and up to three of the five council candidates; the top three council vote-getters win.

Deadline to request a replacement mail ballot · Oct 27

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

What the next council decides

01Measure K: hotel tax increase4 sourced facts

Where it standsMeasure K would raise Needles' transient occupancy (hotel) tax from 10% to 14% in phases starting January 1, 2027.

What's on the tableIf Measure K passes, the council decides how to spend the added General Fund revenue through the annual budget.

02Measure L: $11.2 million bond4 sourced facts

Where it standsMeasure L asks voters to approve up to $11.2 million in general obligation bonds for streets, sidewalks, parks and Downtown Main Street.

What's on the tableIf Measure L passes, the council oversees the bond-funded projects, with annual reports and audits.

03Measure D: council pay4 sourced facts

Where it standsNeedles council members are paid $1 a month under the City Charter; Measure D would raise that to $150 a month.

What's on the tableCouncil pay is set in the City Charter, so only voters can change it.

04Electric rates3 sourced facts

Where it standsOn Sept. 8, 2026, the Needles Public Utility Authority approved a 2.9% cost-of-living increase in the electric basic service charge, effective Oct. 1, 2026.

What's on the tableThe council, sitting as the utility authority board, will set future electric rates and review a 10-year electric capital funding plan.

05Kratom sales ban3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council adopted Ordinance 686-AC on Sept. 8, 2026, adding a section to the city code titled "Sale of Kratom Prohibited."

What's on the tableThe new council will oversee how the ban is enforced.

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Should Needles raise its hotel tax from 10% to 14% (Measure K)?

  2. 2. Should Needles borrow up to $11.2 million for streets, sidewalks and parks (Measure L)?

  3. 3. Should council members' pay rise from $1 to $150 a month (Measure D)?

  4. 4. How should the city set its electric service charges?

  5. 5. Should Needles ban the sale of kratom?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted7 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Tona Belt, Ellen Campbell, Larry Ford3 on this ballot

6 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • Needles is a charter city; voters elect a mayor to a two-year term and six City Council members to four-year terms. City of Needles
  • The mayor and council members are elected at large, and three council seats are filled at each general municipal election. City of Needles
  • The mayor presides over the council and may vote only to break a tie. City of Needles
  • The council picks one of its members to be Vice Mayor after each election. City of Needles
  • The November 3, 2026 election fills the office of mayor for a two-year term and three council seats for four-year terms. City of Needles

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