Santa Monica, CAVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Santa Monica City Council Election 2026

3 of 7

council seats up

Vote for up to 3

12 candidates

Updated Oct 4, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

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

City Council · Vote for up to 3

Santa Monica elects its seven council members at-large, so every voter chooses among all candidates for the three open seats; the three with the most votes win four-year terms.

4 notes on these statements

Councilmember Jesse Zwick did not pull nominating papers for the Council race after being hired as director of a statewide housing advocacy group. Santa Monica Lookout · Aug 17, 2026

Angela Scott withdrew from the council race before the ballot was set. Santa Monica Lookout · Aug 17, 2026

The city's official candidate list shows 12 City Council candidates. City of Santa Monica

Mayor Caroline Torosis and Councilmember Lana Negrete head rival slates. The Democratic Club made no endorsements; SMRR endorsed Torosis and Danny Ivanov, and its steering committee added Brett Morrow. Santa Monica Lookout · Aug 17, 2026

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Dan HallCouncilmember; term ends December 20283sourcedEllis RaskinCouncilmember; term ends December 20283sourcedBarry SnellCouncilmember; term ends December 20282sourcedNatalya ZernitskayaCouncilmember; term ends December 20283sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesHousing near transit and SB 79, Tenant protections and rent control, City budget and the parcel taxKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots begin to be mailed

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Housing near transit and SB 79

Where it standsThe council gave final approval in September 2026 to raising development limits on 89 single-family lots near the Expo/Bundy station to temporarily exclude that transit zone from SB 79.

What's on the tableHow much housing to allow near transit stations, which parcels carry it, and what to adopt in the next housing element.

Tenant protections and rent control

Where it standsThree tenant-related charter measures (GG, RR and VV) are on the November ballot after the council narrowed an earlier proposal on legal advice.

What's on the tableHow the city implements the measures voters approve and whether to revisit household-occupant protections in 2028.

  • Measure RR would prohibit evictions for non-payment of rent when a tenant owes less than one month of the average of HUD fair market rents for Santa Monica ZIP codes. City of Santa Monica
  • Measure VV would extend existing eviction protections to tenants renting single unit dwellings and condominiums. City of Santa Monica
  • The council and Rent Control Board voted to strip out the household-occupant language after city attorneys warned it was untested in court and would likely invite a lawsuit. Santa Monica Daily Press · Jul 29, 2026

City budget and the parcel tax

Where it standsThe council adopted a $908.8 million budget for 2026-27 that officials say is on track for structural balance, depending on voters approving a citizens' parcel tax.

What's on the tableHow to respond if Measure ES passes or fails, and how to repay the city's housing trust fund.

Homelessness response

Where it standsThe 2026 count found 718 people experiencing homelessness in Santa Monica, down 11.6 percent from 2025.

What's on the tableHow much to fund and expand programs such as SaMo Bridge, and how services and enforcement are balanced.

Public safety and policing

Where it standsThe police department reached full staffing in early 2026 under the Realignment Plan adopted in October 2025.

What's on the tablePolice staffing and deployment levels, and how policing pairs with crisis response and prosecution.

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. How much new housing should Santa Monica allow?

  2. 2. What should Santa Monica do on eviction protections for tenants?

  3. 3. How should Santa Monica keep its budget in balance?

  4. 4. What should be the main approach to homelessness?

  5. 5. How should Santa Monica approach policing?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell, Natalya Zernitskaya3 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

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