Are you interested in representing your fellow CalPERS members and helping guide the future of pension and health benefits for all members? If so, the nomination deadline for three key seats—state, school, and public agency representatives—is close, with paperwork due May 14.
If that piques your interest, below are the steps to become a candidate:
Understand the Nomination Process
- To be considered as a candidate, you must submit an official Nomination Petition form. Only forms supplied by CalPERS, or copies of those forms, are accepted.
- All nomination petitions with a minimum of 250 valid original signatures must be received by CalPERS’ Sacramento office no later than 5:00 p.m. PT on May 14, 2026, as outlined in the Notice of Election.
- After submission, the Board Election Coordinator will notify you if you meet the eligibility and nomination requirements.
Check Your Eligibility
Eligibility requirements are similar for all elections:
- Must be an active CalPERS state, school, or public agency member for your respective election.
- 18 years of age or older
- A California resident
- Employed by your respective CalPERS-covered state, school, or public agency as of March 16, 2026.
Gather Required Documents
For your nomination, you’ll need to submit:
- Nomination Petition Forms: Must be endorsed by at least 250 eligible active CalPERS members specific to your membership type (state, school, or public agency).
- Nomination Acceptance/Ballot Designation Form: Indicates your acceptance of the nomination and your preferred ballot designation.
- Candidate Contact Authorization Sheet (optional): Allows CalPERS to publish your contact information for interested parties.
- Candidate Statement (optional): Up to 300 words, subject to formatting criteria. Your statement will be recorded on video and posted on the CalPERS website.
Review Resources
CalPERS provides several resources to support your candidacy:
- Board Election Regulations: Details the rules and procedures for the election process.
- Board of Administration Governance Policy: Outlines the roles and responsibilities of board members.
- Campaign Guidelines: Rules to follow while running for a board position.
- Candidate Statement Information and Format Criteria: Guidance for preparing your candidate statement.
- Criteria for Ballot Designation: Helps you select your ballot designation.
- Political Reform Act Memo: Information about disclosure forms required by the Secretary of State.
- Fair Political Practices Commission Filing Schedule: Important deadlines for filing disclosure forms.
Submit Your Nomination
Make sure all forms and documents are completed and submitted to CalPERS by the deadline—May 14. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.
Need More Information?
Review the Notice of Election and start preparing your nomination today. For more details and access to forms, visit the CalPERS website, contact the Board Election Coordinator, or call (800) 794-2297.