Question: How do I find out the party affiliation of California city council members?

Answer: City council offices in California are non-partisan offices, which means no party affiliation is declared. You can try to get this information from news sources or articles that may discuss activities of the council members but unless they specifically state their affiliation, you would be inferring this information. For background on non-partisan offices in California, see:

1. California Constitution, Article 2, Voting, Initiative and Referendum and Recall Sec. 6 (a) All judicial, school, county, and city offices, including the Superintendent of Public Instruction, shall be nonpartisan.
2. FAQ from the California League of Women Voters
3. National Association of Counties (NACO), Research Abstract Series, County Elections - Partisan or Non-Partisan? -- State by State, 2007 (PDF).

For more information, please contact Kris Kasianovitz, International, State and Local Government Information Librarian