The Orange County Registrar of Voters is mailing ballots for Irvine's November 3 general municipal election, with voting beginning October 5.
All registered voters will elect a mayor for a two-year term. Residents in City Council Districts 1, 5, and 6 will elect a city council member for a four-year term.
The ballot also includes Measure D, a proposed ordinance that would implement ranked-choice voting for mayoral and city council elections after January 1, 2028, if approved. Under ranked-choice voting—also called instant runoff—voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting one. If no candidate receives a majority after first-choice votes are counted, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes redistributed to the next ranked choice. The process continues until one candidate achieves a majority.
Voters can return ballots by mail with no postage required or at secure drop boxes throughout Orange County through November 3 at 8 p.m. Three vote centers open in Irvine beginning October 24: Irvine Civic Center, Los Olivos Community Center, and Portola Springs Community Center. Twelve additional vote centers open October 31 at various community locations throughout the city.
Vote center hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October 24 through November 2, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Unregistered voters can register online at ocvote.gov or by mail through October 19. Conditional voter registration is available after October 19, allowing provisional voting 14 days before the election and on Election Day.