Westlake Village, California Public Records

Law enforcement in Westlake Village is overseen by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Residents can use the department's inmate search tool to find information on individuals who have been arrested and booked into the county jail system. The National Sex Offender Public Website, maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice, also provides a registry of sex offenders living in the Westlake Village area. Additionally, the FBI's Most Wanted list can be searched for information on any fugitives with ties to the local community.

Westlake Village voters residing in Ventura County are served by the Ventura County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Office, located at 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009 (805-654-2664, www.venturavote.org). This office administers all aspects of voter registration, election operations, and vote counting for the Ventura County portion of the city. California residents can register to vote online through the California Secretary of State at registertovote.ca.gov, which requires a California driver's license or ID card number. New registrations must be submitted or postmarked at least 15 days before an election. California also offers Same Day Voter Registration (also called conditional voter registration) during the 14-day period before Election Day and on Election Day itself at designated locations, allowing eligible residents to register and vote provisionally.

Westlake Village operates as a general law city with a City Council-City Manager form of government. The City Council consists of five members elected at-large to four-year staggered terms, with the Mayor selected from among council members by rotation rather than direct election. Municipal elections are held in even-numbered years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, consolidated with statewide general elections. The next Westlake Village City Council election is scheduled for November 2026, when two or three council seats will be on the ballot (depending on the rotation schedule). Candidate filing for city council typically opens in July and closes in August of election years at Westlake Village City Hall. Because the city straddles county lines, only residents in the incorporated portions (both Ventura and Los Angeles County sides) vote in municipal elections, creating a unique split-jurisdiction electorate of approximately 8,200 eligible voters across both counties.

Westlake Village residents can locate their assigned polling place through the Ventura County Elections website at www.venturavote.org using the "Find My Polling Place" tool, which requires entering a home address. California transitioned to the Voter's Choice Act model in many counties, and Ventura County adopted this system starting with the 2020 election. Under this model, voters receive mail-in ballots automatically and can vote at any Vote Center in Ventura County during the 10 days before Election Day and on Election Day itself, rather than being restricted to a single neighborhood polling place. Vote Centers are typically located at community centers, libraries, and government buildings including the Westlake Village City Hall.

In the November 2024 general election, Ventura County reported approximately 64.8% voter turnout among its 512,000 registered voters, with roughly 332,000 ballots cast countywide. Westlake Village precincts historically show higher participation rates, often exceeding 75% in presidential elections, reflecting the community's higher education levels and income.

Looking ahead to November 3, 2026, Westlake Village voters will decide several significant races. While California's U.S. Senate seats are not up for election in 2026 (next elections in 2028 for one seat), voters will elect a new Governor as Gavin Newsom is term-limited. All 80 State Assembly seats and 20 of the 40 State Senate seats will be on the ballot. Westlake Village is part of State Senate District 27 and Assembly District 44, though redistricting following the 2020 Census may have adjusted boundaries. Ventura County voters will also elect countywide offices including Sheriff-Coroner, District Attorney, Assessor, Auditor-Controller, and Board of Supervisors seats (staggered terms). Two or three Westlake Village City Council seats will be contested. Ballot measures may include local tax proposals, state constitutional amendments, and citizen initiatives.

California is a universal vote-by-mail state. Every registered voter automatically receives a ballot mailed to their registered address beginning 29 days before Election Day. Voted mail ballots can be returned by U.S. Mail (no postage required as of 2020), dropped at official ballot drop boxes located throughout Ventura County (including one at Westlake Village City Hall), or submitted in person at any Vote Center. Mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within 7 days to be counted. California election records extensively available to the public include voter registration files (names, addresses, party affiliation, and vote history, but not vote choices), campaign finance disclosures through the California Fair Political Practices Commission at www.fppc.ca.gov showing contributions and expenditures for state and local candidates, candidate statements of qualifications and financial interest forms, precinct-level election results showing vote counts by geographic area, and ballot measure full text and fiscal impact analyses. The Ventura County Elections Office publishes detailed precinct results typically within 30 days of certification at www.venturavote.org.