The San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters, located at 44 North San Joaquin Street, Suite 230, Stockton, CA 95202 (phone: 209-468-2885, website: www.sjcrov.org), administers all elections for Lodi and the surrounding county. The office handles everything from voter registration and candidate filing to campaign disclosure, vote-by-mail ballots, polling place operations, and certification of election results.
California residents can register to vote online at registertovote.ca.gov up to 15 days before an election, though conditional voter registration remains available through Election Day at the Registrar's office or designated vote centers. Eligibility requirements are straightforward: voters 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. A California driver's license or ID number is required for online registration, while applicants without You can register by mail using the last four digits of their Social Security number. Municipal elections in the city feature races for Mayor and City Council seats. The Mayor and six Council members serve four-year staggered terms, with city elections typically consolidated with statewide November general elections in even-numbered years. The next municipal election is scheduled for November 2026, when three City Council seats (Districts 1, 3, and 5) will be on the ballot. Candidate filing for city offices occurs during the nomination period in July-August preceding the November election, with information available through the City Clerk's Office at Lodi City Hall, 221 West Pine Street (phone: 209-333-6702) and the County Registrar. Local ballot measures addressing city taxes, bonds, or charter amendments may also appear on ballots. Residents can locate their assigned polling place and vote center using the County Registrar's lookup tool at www.sjcrov.org or by calling 209-468-2885. The county has transitioned to a vote center model under the California Voter's Choice Act, providing multiple voting locations where any county voter can cast a ballot during an extended voting period beginning 10 days before Election Day. Vote centers remain open daily during this period with expanded weekend and evening hours, offering greater flexibility than traditional precinct-based voting. Under California law, voter registration lists are public records available for election-related purposes. Campaign finance disclosure statements (Form 460, 497, and others) filed by candidates and committees are public and searchable through the San Joaquin County Registrar and California Secretary of State's Cal-Access database at cal-access.sos.ca.gov. Candidate statements, nomination papers, and precinct-level election results are available through the Registrar's office, while historical election results and voter turnout statistics are published on the Registrar's website. In the November 2024 presidential election, the county recorded approximately 52-55% voter turnout among registered voters, with roughly 185,000 ballots cast out of approximately 335,000 registered voters. This represented typical midpoint turnout for the county in a presidential election year. The November 3, 2026 general election will feature critical statewide and local races. No U.S. Senate seat from California is scheduled for election in 2026 (the next Senate race is 2028), but all California statewide constitutional offices will be on the ballot, including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, and State Board of Equalization members. All 80 State Assembly seats and 20 of 40 State Senate seats (even-numbered districts) are up for election. Local voters in State Senate District 5 and State Assembly District 13 will elect their representatives. San Joaquin County offices on the 2026 ballot include Board of Supervisors seats for Districts 1, 3, and 5 (four-year terms), along with Sheriff-Coroner, District Attorney, Assessor, Auditor-Controller, Treasurer-Tax Collector, and County Clerk-Recorder (all four-year terms). Educational governing boards including the San Joaquin County Board of Education and Lodi Unified School District Board of Trustees will also have contested seats. Judicial offices for Superior Court judges may appear if incumbents do not run for retention or vacancies occur. California operates as a universal vote-by-mail state: all registered voters automatically receive mail ballots approximately 29 days before each election. Voters may complete and return mail ballots by Election Day via U.S. Mail (no postage required), ballot drop boxes located throughout San Joaquin County, or by delivering them to any vote center. In-person voting is also available at vote centers during the 10-day voting period or on Election Day. Ballot tracking is available through the state's "Where's My Ballot?" system at wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov, which sends notifications when mail ballots are mailed, received, and counted.