General election contest: citation served on defendant at least 5 days before hearing

5 days before hearing date specified in the order, under Cal. Elec. Code 16501.

Rule text

The clerk of the superior court shall thereupon issue a citation for the defendant to appear at the time and place specified in the order, which citation shall be delivered to the sheriff and served upon the party at least five days before the time so specified, by either of the following methods:(a) Personally.(b) If the party cannot be found, by leaving a copy at the house where he or she last resided.

Cal. Elec. Code 16501, official source

Calculate this deadline

Deadline
Friday, October 30, 2026
  1. Trigger (Hearing date specified in the order): Friday, November 6, 2026.
  2. Count back 5 calendar days: Sunday, November 1, 2026.
  3. That day is a Sunday. Counting backward, this calculator uses the earlier court day so the full notice period is preserved: Friday, October 30, 2026 (see Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12c).
Rules applied
Cal. Elec. Code 16501
The clerk of the superior court shall thereupon issue a citation for the defendant to appear at the time and place specified in the order, which citation shall be delivered to the sheriff and served upon the party at least five days before the time so specified, by either of the following methods:(a) Personally.(b) If the party cannot be found, by leaving a copy at the house where he or she last resided.
Official source
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. 12, 12a, 10; Gov. Code 6800, 6804, 6806; Cal. Rules of Court, rule 1.10 (for periods set by the Rules of Court)
CCP 12: "The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day, and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded." CCP 12a: "(a) If the last day for the performance of any act provided or required by law to be performed within a specified period of time is a holiday, then that period is hereby extended to and including the next day that is not a holiday. For purposes of this section, “holiday” means all day on Saturdays, all holidays specified in Section 135 and, to the extent provided in Section 12b, all days that by terms of Section 12b are required to be considered as holidays.(b) This section applies to Sections 659, 659a, and 921, and to all other provisions of law providing or requiring an act to be performed on a particular day or within a specified period of time, whether expressed in this or any other code or statute, ordinance, rule, or regulation." CCP 10: "Holidays within the meaning of this code are every Sunday and any other days that are specified or provided for as judicial holidays in Section 135." Gov. Code 6800: "The time in which any act provided by law is to be done is computed by excluding the first day, and including the last, unless the last day is a holiday, and then it is also excluded." Gov. Code 6804: "“Month” means a calendar month, unless otherwise expressed." Gov. Code 6806: "A day is the period of time between any midnight and the midnight following." CRC 1.10(a): "The time in which any act provided by these rules is to be performed is computed by excluding the first day and including the last, unless the last day is a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, and then it is also excluded." CRC 1.10(b): "Unless otherwise provided by law, if the last day for the performance of any act that is required by these rules to be performed within a specific period of time falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or other legal holiday, the period is extended to and includes the next day that is not a holiday." Elec. Code 15: "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the last day for the performance of any act provided for or required by this code shall be a holiday, as defined in Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 6700) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, the act may be performed upon the next business day with the same effect as if it had been performed upon the day appointed.For purposes of this section, the Friday in November immediately after Thanksgiving Day shall be considered a holiday."
Official source
  • Counting backward from a hearing or trial, when the day lands on a weekend or holiday we use the earlier court day. The rules do not state the direction expressly; confirm with the court.
  • Clerk and sheriff duty; contestant's counsel should confirm timely service. Roll to previous court day is conservative.
  • If the clerk's office is closed or inaccessible on the last day (weather, emergency or local closure orders), the deadline may be extended. Check local orders.

This calculator applies the cited rules to the dates you enter. It is not legal advice. Court orders, local rules, and case-specific facts can change a deadline; verify before relying on it. Rule set pending attorney review.

Worked example

Hearing date specified in the order on Monday, March 15, 2027, personal service: due Wednesday, March 10, 2027.

  1. Trigger (Hearing date specified in the order): Monday, March 15, 2027.
  2. Count back 5 calendar days: Wednesday, March 10, 2027.

Notes

Clerk and sheriff duty; contestant's counsel should confirm timely service. Roll to previous court day is conservative.

Related deadlines

All California special proceedings deadlines

Local rules by county

County local rules and courtroom procedures can add to or change this deadline. Pick a county to calculate with them applied.

Rules current as of 2026-10-27. Confirm against the official source and any local rule or court order before relying on a date. Rules changelog.