SAN MARCOS, San Diego County — October 23, 2026. Voters in San Marcos, California, will elect a mayor and representatives from City Council Districts 1 and 2 on November 3. The city’s official Elections webpage explains that the mayor is chosen citywide, while only voters living in the relevant districts vote for their council seats. Districts 3 and 4 are not scheduled for council elections until 2028.
Who is on the candidate list?
The city’s filing status published August 12 shows Sharon Jenkins and Mike Sannella qualified for mayor; Maria Nunez and Thomas Gabriele for District 1; and Justin Matsushita and Lindsey Smith for District 2. A candidate name in a filing-status report should still be checked against the final sample ballot issued by San Diego County. This article does not endorse any candidate.
How can someone find their district?
San Marcos posts an address-based district lookup and a downloadable district map. Residents should not identify their district merely from a ZIP code or an approximate neighborhood boundary. The adopted map determines the council contest on their ballot, and the county’s official sample ballot confirms other local, county and statewide questions.
How did the 2026 nomination process work?
The city’s election notice states that the incumbent candidates for these offices did not file by the original August 7, 2026 deadline, extending the qualifying filing period. The city’s August 12 record identifies the qualified candidates. These filing facts are separate from voting results; no one should present a campaign nomination as an election victory before the votes are counted.
How and where can residents vote?
San Marcos directs voters to the San Diego County Registrar of Voters for voting centers, mail ballot information, tracking and current hours. The regular California registration deadline was October 19, but eligible residents may have options through conditional same-day registration at participating voting locations. The Registrar’s contact number is 800-696-0136.
Where to ask about city elections
The City Clerk can be reached at cityclerk@sanmarcosca.gov or 760-744-1050, extension 3105. City Hall is at 1 Civic Center Drive. For full voting rules, consult county election officials rather than assuming the municipal building serves as a polling station.
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Primary source: City of San Marcos, California, 2026 Elections and published candidate filing status; San Diego County Registrar of Voters. This is not information about San Marcos, Texas.
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