Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Asst. Chief Elections Officer & Asst. Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

(Redwood City, CA) Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, announced today that the Signatures in Lieu of Filing Fee period will open from December 19, 2025, through February 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. for all judicial, nonpartisan county, and voter-nominated state and federal offices appearing on the ballot for the June 2, 2026, Statewide Direct Primary Election.

During the Signatures in Lieu of Filing Fee period, candidates may submit a petition containing signatures of registered voters within their jurisdiction to offset or fully cover their filing fee. Only signatures verified as valid by the Registration & Elections Division will reduce the filing fee. The number of signatures required to cover the filing fee varies by office.

Signatures gathered on the petition may also be applied toward the signature requirements for a candidate’s Nomination Papers during the candidate filing period. Interested individuals must pick up their Signatures in Lieu of Filing Fee petitions at the Registration & Elections Division Office, located at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, CA 94402. 

For more information regarding the Signatures in Lieu of Filing Fee period, filing fees and candidate filing, please contact Candidate Services at CandidateServices@smcacre.gov. You may also call or text (650) 312-5222, visit www.smcvote.gov or follow us on X @smcvote and Instagram @sanmateocountyvote.