How to Become a Candidate in the State, School & Public Agency Elections
The Nomination Process
Each potential candidate must submit an official Nomination Petition form—explore required documents. For nomination criteria, refer to the Notice of Election. Only a nomination petition form supplied by CalPERS, or a copy of that form, will be acceptable.
All nomination petitions containing valid original signatures must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. PT on May 14, 2026, at the CalPERS Sacramento office in accordance with the Notice of Election. The nominee will be notified by the Board Election Coordinator whether the eligibility and nomination requirements have been met.
Election Candidacy Information
Eligibility
Any active CalPERS state member is eligible to be nominated if they are:
- 18 years of age or older
- A California resident
- Employed by a CalPERS-covered state agency as of the date of the 2026 State Member Election Notice of Election (PDF), March 16, 2026.
Required Documents
- Nomination petition forms
- State Nomination Acceptance/Ballot Designation Form (PDF)
- Candidate Contact Authorization Sheet (PDF) (optional)
If you'd like to provide your contact information to interested parties, you may submit this form giving CalPERS the authority to publish it. - Candidate Statement of no more than 300 words (optional)
Candidate statements are subject to criteria set forth in the Candidate Statement Information and Format Criteria (PDF).
Eligibility
Any active CalPERS school member is eligible to be nominated if they are:
- 18 years of age or older
- A California resident
- Employed by a CalPERS-covered school employer as of the date of the 2026 School Member Notice of Election (PDF), March 16, 2026.
Required Documents
- Nomination petition forms
- School Nomination Acceptance/Ballot Designation Form (PDF)
- Candidate Contact Authorization Sheet (PDF) (optional)
If you'd like to provide your contact information to interested parties, you may submit this form giving CalPERS the authority to publish it - Candidate Statement of no more than 300 words (optional)
Candidate statements are subject to criteria set forth in the Candidate Statement Information and Format Criteria (PDF)
Eligibility
Any active CalPERS public agency member is eligible to be nominated if they are:
- 18 years of age or older
- A California resident
- Employed by a CalPERS-covered public agency as of the date of the 2026 Public Agency Notice of Election (PDF), March 16, 2026.
Required Documents
- Nomination petition forms
- Public Agency Nomination Acceptance/Ballot Designation Form (PDF)
- Candidate Contact Authorization Sheet (PDF) (optional)
If you'd like to provide your contact information to interested parties, you may submit this form giving CalPERS the authority to publish it - Candidate Statement of no more than 300 words (optional)
Candidate statements are subject to criteria set forth in the Candidate Statement Information and Format Criteria (PDF)
Resources to Support Your Process
The resources below provide important information to help you with the nomination and election process.
Board Election Regulations (PDF)
This document includes Title 2 California Code of Regulations, sections 554 through 554.11, relating to the CalPERS Board Election process.
Board of Administration Governance Policy (PDF)
To ensure the accountability and authority for governance and management of CalPERS is clearly stated, the Board sets forth governing principles to identify and distinguish between the roles of the Board, the Board President, the Board Vice President, Committees, Committee Chairs, Vice Chairs, and the Chief Executive Officer and staff.
These guidelines must be followed while running for a position on the CalPERS Board.
Candidate Statement Information and Format Criteria (PDF)
This document describes the criteria for formatting the 300-word candidate statement and the 300-word addendum to the candidate statement. Note: A candidate’s written statement will be recorded on video, verbatim, and posted on the CalPERS website. It’s recommended that candidates compose statements with this detail in mind.
Criteria for Ballot Designation (PDF)
This document provides candidates with the criteria for selecting a Ballot Designation at the time they accept the nomination as a candidate.
Political Reform Act Memo (PDF)
This document contains information about the disclosure forms that candidates are required to complete and file with the Secretary of State’s office.
Fair Political Practices Commission Filing Schedule (PDF)
This webpage contains the filing schedule of the disclosure forms for this election.