Newport Beach to hold special election for three ballot initiatives

The Newport Beach City Council has scheduled a special mail-in election for November 3 to address three citizen-led ballot initiatives. This decision follows a court order from Orange County Superior Court Judge Julianne Bancroft, who ruled that the council had “abused its discretion” by attempting to delay these measures until 2028.

The initiatives, authored by the Newport Beach Stewardship Association, propose changes to city term limits, district election methods, and transparency policies regarding public meetings and records. A separate housing-related measure will be included in the general election administered by the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

Because the legal challenges prevented the measures from being included in the consolidated county election, the city must now administer its own election. Officials estimate the cost of this city-run mail-in election will be between $1 million and $1.5 million. City leaders expressed concerns regarding the speed and logistical difficulty of the undertaking, noting that the city has not conducted a standalone election in over 40 years.