Redondo Beach holds its own elections — separate from county and state cycles — and most residents don't realize how different the process is from the November elections they're used to. Here's how elections actually work in Redondo Beach: when they happen, who's on the ballot, and how to run for office yourself.
When elections happen
Redondo Beach holds municipal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of odd-numbered years. The next one is March 2, 2027. This is separate from state and federal elections, which happen in even-numbered years. The city deliberately opted out of consolidating with statewide primaries — a decision that keeps local races from getting buried under national politics, but also means turnout is typically much lower.
Municipal elections are administered by the City Clerk's office, not the LA County Registrar-Recorder (which handles state and federal elections). Since 2020, Redondo's local elections have been conducted entirely by mail — no in-person polling places for city races. Ballots are mailed to every registered voter, and the city provides drop-off locations.
What's on the ballot
Redondo Beach voters directly elect eight positions: the Mayor (at-large, meaning citywide), five City Council members (one per district), the City Clerk, and the City Treasurer. All serve four-year terms, staggered so that not every seat is up at once.
In 2027, the seats up for election are: District 3 (currently Paige Kaluderovic), District 5 (currently Scott Behrendt, who also serves as Mayor Pro Tem), City Clerk (currently Eleanor Manzano), and City Treasurer (currently Eugene Solomon). The Mayor, Districts 1, 2, and 4 are on the opposite cycle.
Two other key positions — City Manager and City Attorney — are appointed by the City Council, not elected by voters. This is the council-manager form of government: residents elect the policy-makers, who then hire professional administrators to run day-to-day operations.
Ranked choice voting
Starting in March 2025, Redondo Beach adopted ranked choice voting (RCV) for municipal elections — making it one of the first cities in California to do so. Instead of picking one candidate, voters rank their choices: first, second, third, and so on. If no candidate wins a majority of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and their voters' second choices are redistributed. This continues until someone reaches a majority.
The practical effect: RCV eliminates the need for runoff elections, saves the city money (runoffs are expensive), and in theory encourages candidates to campaign more broadly since they benefit from being voters' second choice, not just their first. The 2025 election was the first under this system.
How to run for office
Any registered voter who lives in Redondo Beach can run for Mayor, City Clerk, or City Treasurer. For City Council, you must be a registered voter living within the district you want to represent. The residency requirement is 30 days prior to filing.
The City Clerk has one extra requirement that's unusual: candidates must have either 15 college units in accounting-related courses (elementary, intermediate, advanced accounting, auditing, or municipal accounting) or five years of experience in municipal accounting. This reflects the Clerk's financial oversight responsibilities under the city charter.
The filing process starts when the City Clerk opens the nomination period — typically several months before election day. Candidates meet with the Clerk's office (plan about an hour), review the Candidate Handbook, and file their nomination papers. The specific filing fees and petition signature requirements are set by the city charter.
The five council districts
Redondo Beach is divided into five council districts, each electing one representative. The districts were last redrawn after the 2020 Census. Generally: District 1 (Brad Waller) covers the northwest, District 2 (Chadwick Castle) covers the northeast, District 3 (Paige Kaluderovic) covers the central area, District 4 (Zein Obagi Jr.) covers the southwest waterfront area, and District 5 (Scott Behrendt) covers the southeast hillside area. The Mayor (Jim Light) is elected at-large and represents the entire city.
Ballot measures and initiatives
Local ballot measures can reach Redondo Beach voters two ways: the City Council can place a measure on the ballot by majority vote, or residents can qualify an initiative or referendum by collecting signatures from registered voters. The signature threshold is set by the city charter (typically a percentage of registered voters). Recent local measures have addressed topics from land use restrictions to tax measures — issues that directly shape what the city looks like and how it's funded.
How to stay informed
Election information is posted on the City Clerk's elections page at redondo.org, including candidate lists, filing deadlines, ballot drop locations, and certified results. For state and federal election results in Redondo Beach, check the LA County Registrar-Recorder's website. And for county-level ballot measures that affect Redondo Beach — like the Measure A sales tax — those results come through the county system even though they directly impact city revenue.
The 2027 election cycle will start becoming visible in late 2026 as potential candidates begin signaling their intentions. Watch for the official nomination period opening — that's when the race is officially on.