Santa Monica, California Public Records

The LA Metro Transit Authority runs its own transit police force, and the California Highway Patrol covers freeways and unincorporated areas throughout the county. Crime data from LAPD is publicly accessible at data.lacity.org. Under SB 2 (2023), all California law enforcement agencies must now proactively disclose sustained misconduct records, use-of-force incidents, and officer-involved shooting investigations.

To locate a current inmate in county custody, use the LASD Inmate Information Center at app5.lasd.org and search by name or booking number. The online system provides bail bond information, court dates, and housing location. For inmates held in city jails—including those in Long Beach, Pasadena, or Burbank—contact each municipality's police department directly.

For historical documents, the California State Archives and Genealogy collection maintains records related to the city and surrounding region, accessible through their website for those tracing local history or conducting genealogical research.

Santa Monica's economic strengths, combined with its desirable coastal location and amenities, contribute to its reputation as a hub of innovation and opportunity within the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Residents can register to vote online at registertovote.ca.gov, the statewide portal managed by the Secretary of State. Registration must occur at least 15 days before an election, though California offers conditional voter registration allowing eligible citizens to register and vote provisionally during the 14-day period before Election Day and on Election Day itself at designated locations. The process requires a California driver's license or identification card number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number. Same-day registration is available at vote centers and conditional registration at county elections offices. Municipal elections in the city are held separately from county and state contests. Santa Monica elects a Mayor and seven City Council members, all serving four-year terms, in November of even-numbered years. The next municipal election is scheduled for November 4, 2025, with candidate filing typically opening in July. The City Clerk's Office at 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (phone: 310-458-8211, website: santamonica.gov/cityclerk) provides information on local candidates, ballot measures, campaign finance filings, and election results specific to the community. City elections use ranked-choice voting, adopted by voters in 2016 and implemented in municipal races. Voters can find their assigned polling place by visiting lavote.gov/av_inquiry and entering their address, or by calling 562-466-1323. Los Angeles County implemented the Voter's Choice Act model in 2020, allowing residents to cast ballots at any vote center in Los Angeles County during an 11-day voting period before and including Election Day, rather than being restricted to a single precinct polling place. Vote centers are listed at lavote.gov. Under California Elections Code and Public Records Act, voter registration information is public with certain restrictions. Voter registration lists—excluding confidential information like birthdates and driver's license numbers—are available to candidates, campaigns, and political parties. Campaign finance reports for local, county, and state candidates are public and searchable through the Santa Monica City Clerk's office for city races, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder for county races, and the California Secretary of State at cal-access.sos.ca.gov for state races. Candidate statements, nomination papers, and campaign finance disclosures are all public records. Precinct-level election results are published by the County Registrar-Recorder and the City Clerk following certification. In the November 2024 presidential election, Los Angeles County reported approximately 4.8 million registered voters with turnout around 71%, representing roughly 3.4 million ballots cast countywide. The city traditionally demonstrates higher turnout percentages than the county average, often exceeding 75% in presidential elections. On November 3, 2026, local voters will participate in California's gubernatorial election cycle. Races on the ballot will include California Governor (four-year term), all statewide constitutional offices including Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, and Insurance Commissioner; California State Senate and State Assembly seats (the area is in Senate District 26 and Assembly District 50 as of current redistricting); Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (residents are in District 3); Los Angeles County Superior Court judicial seats; Los Angeles County Assessor and other county offices; plus state ballot propositions and potential local ballot measures if placed by the City Council or citizen initiative. The U.S. Senate seat held by Alex Padilla is not up in 2026 (next election 2028), but all U.S. House seats are contested every two years—the community is in California's 36th Congressional District. California is a universal vote-by-mail state; all registered voters automatically receive mail ballots starting 29 days before each election. Voters may return ballots by mail (postmarked by Election Day), at drop boxes located throughout Los Angeles County (until 8:00 PM on Election Day), or at any vote center. To request a replacement ballot or update vote-by-mail preferences, residents can contact the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder at 562-466-1310 or manage preferences online at lavote.gov.