San Juan Bautista, California Public Records

Law enforcement in San Juan Bautista is managed by the San Juan Bautista Police Department, a local agency that works closely with the San Benito County Sheriff's Office to maintain public safety and respond to incidents within the city limits. The San Juan Bautista Police Department is responsible for conducting investigations, making arrests, and enforcing local and state laws, while the Sheriff's Office provides additional resources and support as needed.

San Juan Bautista voters are served by the San Benito County Elections Department (Registrar of Voters), located at 440 Fifth Street, Suite D, Hollister, CA 95023, phone (831) 636-4016, website www.sbcvote.us. This office administers all federal, state, county, and municipal elections for San Juan Bautista residents. California voters can register online at registertovote.ca.gov, by mail, or in person; the deadline is 15 days before any election for standard registration, though California offers conditional voter registration allowing eligible citizens to register and vote provisionally through Election Day at the county elections office or vote centers. Valid California driver's license or state ID number is required for online registration, or the last four digits of Social Security number. San Juan Bautista, as an incorporated city, holds municipal elections for Mayor and City Council positions. The city operates under a council-manager form of government with a five-member City Council elected at-large to four-year staggered terms. Municipal elections are consolidated with statewide elections and held in November of even-numbered years. The next San Juan Bautista City Council election is scheduled for November 2026, when two or three council seats will be on the ballot depending on the rotation. Residents can find candidate statements, local ballot measures, and campaign finance disclosures through the County Elections website and the California Secretary of State's website at www.sos.ca.gov. San Juan Bautista voters can look up their specific polling place, vote center locations, or ballot drop box sites by entering their address at www.sbcvote.us or through the Secretary of State's voter portal at voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. In the November 2024 presidential election, San Benito County reported approximately 62% voter turnout with roughly 19,000 ballots cast from approximately 30,600 registered voters; San Juan Bautista's turnout typically mirrors county patterns. For the November 3, 2026 general election, San Juan Bautista voters will decide several key races: the California gubernatorial election (Governor Gavin Newsom's current term expires 2027, though he is term-limited and cannot seek re-election; candidates are already emerging for this open seat), all 80 California State Assembly seats including District 28 which includes San Benito County, half of the 40 California State Senate seats (District 17 covers San Benito), county offices including San Benito County Board of Supervisors seats, and local San Juan Bautista City Council positions. No U.S. Senate seat from California is scheduled for election in 2026 (both Senators Padilla and Schiff have terms extending beyond 2026). California is a universal vote-by-mail state; all registered voters automatically receive mail ballots beginning 29 days before each election. Voters may return ballots by mail (postmarked by Election Day), at official drop boxes throughout the county (until 8 PM on Election Day), at vote centers, or vote in person at vote centers during the early voting period or on Election Day. Public election records in California include voter registration rolls (available with restrictions under California Elections Code § 2194), campaign finance reports through the California Fair Political Practices Commission at www.fppc.ca.gov and locally filed reports at the County Elections office, candidate statements and filings, precinct-by-precinct election results, and ballot measure information—all accessible through the County Elections website and Secretary of State databases.