Soledad, California Public Records

Same-day conditional voter registration is available at vote centers during early voting and on Election Day for those who miss the deadline. To register, applicants must be U.S. Citizens, California residents, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not currently serving a state prison sentence for a felony conviction. No documentary proof of citizenship is required at registration, but voters must provide a California driver's license or identification number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number. The city holds municipal elections for City Council and Mayor in November of even-numbered years, with council seats elected by district and the mayor elected at-large. The next Soledad municipal election is scheduled for November 4, 2025 (odd-year election), with four council seats potentially on the ballot. City Council terms are four years, staggered so that two or three seats are up for election every two years. Candidate filing information, campaign finance reports, and local ballot measures are available through the City Clerk at Soledad City Hall (831-223-5000) and the Monterey County Elections website. Residents can find their assigned polling place or vote center by visiting www.montereycountyelections.us and entering their address in the polling place locator, or by calling the Elections Department. California is a universal vote-by-mail state, meaning all registered voters automatically receive mail ballots approximately 29 days before each election. Ballots can be returned by mail (postmarked by Election Day), at official drop boxes throughout Monterey County, or at any vote center. In-person voting is available at vote centers beginning 10 days before Election Day through Election Day. In the November 2024 presidential election, Monterey County reported approximately 57-60% voter turnout with over 130,000 ballots cast out of approximately 220,000 registered voters. Soledad's turnout was consistent with county averages. On November 3, 2026, local voters will decide several significant races including the California Governor's race (incumbent Gavin Newsom is term-limited; the office will be open), all 52 California U.S. House seats including the 19th Congressional District which includes Soledad, the California State Assembly and Senate seats for districts covering the area, Monterey County Board of Supervisors District 5 (which includes Soledad), county constitutional offices such as Sheriff, District Attorney, Assessor, and Treasurer-Tax Collector, as well as potential city council seats and local school board positions. Election records that are public under California law include voter registration lists (excluding birthdates and full driver's license numbers), campaign finance disclosure statements filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) and viewable at cal-access.sos.ca.gov, candidate declarations and statements, precinct-level election results, and vote center rosters. Individual voter ballot choices are confidential, but voter participation history (whether someone voted, not how they voted) is public record. California law (Elections Code §3000 et seq.) governs these disclosure requirements and balances transparency with voter privacy.