Your local guide to navigating the November 2026 General Election
Voter Guide 2026
Get to know the candidates and measures on your ballot with the Mountain View Voice’s 2026 Voter Guide, including in-depth profiles, issue comparison grids and campaign finance coverage.
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Latest Election Coverage
Los Altos School district election numbers tight, based on early results
The race for three open seats on the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees is tight, based on early ballot returns. Incumbents Bryan Johnson, Vaishali “Shali” Sirkay and Brandon Stroy are in the lead.
El Camino Healthcare District’s Measure S gets the greenlight
A ballot measure to establish term limits for El Camino Healthcare District’s board members appears headed for victory.
Mountain View voters sign off on Measure E city charter update
Early election night results show that Mountain View voters strongly favor Measure E, a ballot measure that focuses on revising outdated language and making technical clarifications in Mountain View’s city charter.
Mountain View voters back Measure F hotel tax
Voters are on track to pass a ballot measure that will give the City Council authority to increase Mountain View’s hotel tax.
Sylvester, Paymer and Cox take the lead in Mountain View City Council race
With polls officially closed, early election results for the Mountain View City Council race show IdaRose Sylvester has taken a decisive lead with Silja Paymer, Robert Cox and Erik Poicon neck-to-neck to fill a trio of seats up for grabs this year.
Pete Dailey poised to win seat on Valley Water board
Pete Dailey appears to be winning by a wide margin in the contentious Area 7 seat on the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors after early returns.
Election Resources
Election Day — Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day
- In-person ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day
- Mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received within seven days following the election
Key Dates & Deadlines
- Oct. 5: Start of the early voting period. County election officials will begin mailing ballots to voters. Ballot drop boxes open and early voting begins at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Oct. 19: Last day to register to vote with a standard ballot. (Note: Conditional voter registration is available in-person through Election Day, which involves the use of a provisional ballot.)
- Oct. 24: Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office opens for voting on weekends, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Vote centers open across the county, including the Church of Scientology Silicon Valley, 1066 Linda Vista Ave., Mountain View.
- Oct. 27: Last day to request a vote-by-mail ballot replacement by mail.
- Oct. 31: Additional vote centers open, including the Mountain View Community Center, 201 S. Rengstorff Ave., and St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, 2094 Grant Road.
- Nov. 3: Election Day. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. In-person ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received within seven days following the election.
Check your voter registration
Make sure your registration is current. Voters should re-register if they change their name, political affiliation or residence.
Vote by mail
Get details about the process of voting by mail, including information on the different ways to return your ballot.
Vote in person
Find vote center locations, hours and information about early in-person voting.
Track your ballot
Sign up for the state’s “Where’s My Ballot?” tool. You will then receive notifications on the status of your vote-by-mail ballot, including when it’s mailed, received and counted.
More Election Coverage
In early returns, Thida Cornes leads in race for MVLA school board Area 3
In early election returns, Thida Cornes is leading the race for the Area 3 seat of the Mountain View Los Altos High School District Board…
Incumbents Devon Conley and Bill Lambert lead in Mountain View Whisman School race
With the polls now closed, initial returns show incumbents Devon Conley and Bill Lambert are leading in the race for two open seats on the…
Election Day is today, here’s what to know in Mountain View
Election Day is just around the corner and Mountain View residents still have plenty of options to vote in person or submit a ballot at…
Los Altos school board campaign brings in over $30K
The race for three seats on the Los Altos School District’s board has brought in over $30,000, both from community donations and loans candidates have…
Supreme Court declines to hear Trump’s California 20,000 ballot case. Here’s what to know
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to issue an emergency ruling in the Trump Administration’s case to sequester 20,000 ballots. Here’s what to know about the…
Incoming Silicon Valley water district CEO donates to board candidates
Multiple candidates are vying to be on the board of directors for Santa Clara County’s largest water supplier. The outcome could chart a new course for…
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