Hamida

FACTS

On August 18, 2022, Hamida filed a verified petition for writ of mandate pursuant to Elections Code section 13314,2 requesting the court order her name be placed on the November 8, 2022 ballot as a candidate for Anaheim City Council, District 2, because Respondents allegedly “unlawfully excluded her from the ballot by improperly rejecting four of her nominating signatures.” The petition alleged that on August 12, 2022, Hamida submitted nomination papers with 28 signatures. The Registrar rejected 11 signatures: seven were rejected because the voters who signed the nomination papers were not registered to vote in Anaheim’s second district, and four were rejected because the signature on the nomination papers did not match the signature on the voter’s voter registration. Candidates for city council are required to submit at least 20 nominating signatures. The Clerk rejected Hamida’s candidacy and called Hamida to inform her about the decision at approximately 4:45 p.m., on August 12, 2022, which was 15 minutes before the deadline to file nomination papers. Hamida could not submit additional signatures during that time period. Subsequently, “in an attempt to exhaust any…