Campos, Sánchez-Palacios, Alstot, Eckley Lead Ventura Council

Initial returns show four candidates ahead in their Ventura City Council races as Ventura County counts remaining ballots.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a sealed ballot box before a low civic building under warm coastal light, evoking an unfinished local vote count. — Initial returns show Liz Campos, Jeannette Sánchez-Palacios, Vernon Alstot and Karba Eckley leading their Ventura City Council races as county officials count remaining ballots. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you trust your city council to serve residents well?

Initial results show Liz Campos, Jeannette Sánchez-Palacios, Vernon Alstot and Karba Eckley leading their Ventura City Council races in the Nov. 3 election. Fourteen candidates are competing for four seats, and Ventura County officials will release updated totals as the count continues.

Why it matters

The early leads reflect preliminary counts only, and ballots turned in near Election Day or mailed late will be tallied in the following days and weeks. Final results will determine who fills four council seats in a city of about 109,000 residents.

Preliminary returns show Campos at about 66% in District 1, Sánchez-Palacios at nearly 54% in District 4, Alstot at about 68% in District 5 and Eckley at nearly 29% in District 6. Ballots still being counted could shift these shares before results are certified.

The players

Ventura County Elections Division

The county office that conducts elections and is releasing the vote totals for the Ventura City Council races.

The details

Polls closed at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3, and preliminary results were released after 8:30 p.m. The Ventura County Elections Division will publish updated totals regularly until the count is complete, with a release planned by the morning of Nov. 4. In District 6, incumbent Jim Duran did not seek reelection, leaving an open seat.

Nov. 3, 2026: General election held; polls close at 8 p.m.
After 8:30 p.m. Nov. 3, 2026: Preliminary results released.
Morning of Nov. 4, 2026: County plans release of polling-place and early absentee results.
Following days and weeks: Late-arriving ballots counted and updated totals released.

Legal Context

Under California's rules, mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can still be counted when they arrive afterward, which is why Ventura's council results will keep shifting in the days ahead. That timeline means preliminary leads are not final until the county completes its count.

Residents in the four districts will learn who represents them only after the late ballots are tallied, so the current leaders are not yet decided winners. Voters who want final numbers should check the county's updated totals as they are posted.

The takeaway

Preliminary leads can change once late-arriving ballots are counted, so the final Ventura City Council results may differ from the early totals.

What happens next

Ventura County will release updated vote totals on a regular basis until the count is complete, starting with results planned by the morning of Nov. 4.