Explore San Diego voter guides, local civic context and official resources for City of San Diego campaigns, with dated population and registration facts.
At a glance: San Diego is an incorporated city in San Diego County. Population: 1,419,531 (California Department of Finance estimate as of January 1, 2026). Registered voters: 826,965 (California Secretary of State, as of September 4, 2026).
The City of San Diego is California's second-largest city and one municipality among eighteen incorporated cities in San Diego County. The city elects a Mayor, a City Attorney and nine City Council members from geographic districts that stretch from La Jolla and Pacific Beach to San Ysidro and Otay Mesa on the international border. City, county, school-district and special-district boundaries differ, so a San Diego address alone does not determine which offices appear on a ballot. San Diego operates under a strong-mayor form of government: the Mayor serves as the city's chief executive, while the nine-member City Council is the legislative body and selects a Council President from among its members. That division of authority matters when following a local decision — some questions belong to the Mayor's administration and others to the Council. The Office of the City Clerk administers city elections and publishes candidate information, petition and ballot-measure material, past election results and a 'How to Run for Office' guide covering candidacy requirements and nomination papers. At the time this page was checked, the Clerk's elections page listed the 2026 elections for City Council Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8, illustrating the council's staggered terms. Campaign disclosures for city committees and officeholders are filed through the city's separate e-filing portal. Voter registration, vote-by-mail and voting locations are administered by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters, a county agency separate from the City Clerk. For any particular race, the City Clerk's elections pages and the county Registrar are the authoritative sources; nothing on this page assumes which offices appear on a future ballot.
The Office of the City Clerk administers city elections, including candidate information, petitions and ballot measures. Voter registration and vote-by-mail are handled separately by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters.
No. The city is one of eighteen incorporated cities in the county, which also includes large unincorporated areas. City, county, school-district and special-district offices are elected separately.
The Mayor serves as the city's chief executive, while the nine-member City Council is the legislative body and selects a Council President from among its members.
City campaign committees and officeholders file statements through the city's electronic filing portal, linked from the City Clerk's elections page.
826,965 (California Secretary of State, as of September 4, 2026).
San Diego USD.
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