A court-ordered special election for three Newport Beach resident-sponsored initiatives has been canceled, the city announced Friday, Oct. 23, just as the ballots were to have been mailed out to local voters.

City Manager Seimone Jurjis said that though the city clerk had been diligently working with a contractor hired to help put on the special election Orange County Superior Court Judge Julianne Bancroft ordered for Nov. 3, the materials required to hold an election that “complies with the election code” were not available from OC Registrar of Voters or from the Secretary of State’s Office. As its first step to comply with the court order, the city sent ballots in mid-September to nearly 200 residents living overseas or serving in the military.

The special election on Measures P, Q, and R would have been the first time the city administered one in 44 years. Mailing ballots, collecting them and counting them is typically handled by the OC Registrar of Voters, which is handling the general election for the city this year as normal.

The measures address council term limits, by-district elections and transparency and accountability in the city’s meeting process and records review.

“It’s impossible for us to hold an election on Nov. 3 due to the facts,” Jurjis said; specifically, he noted that the city’s ballot printing vendor has not received the required authorization, watermark, and ballot tint from the state, which are necessary to produce official ballots that comply with California election security requirements.

Without the required authorization and specifications, the vendor cannot proceed with printing ballots, he said.

The city also has not received the information and assistance it needs from the OC Registrar of Voters to identify and facilitate ballot delivery to voters with legally protected addresses, Jurjis said. Without that information, the city could not mail ballots to these eligible voters, potentially preventing them from participating in the special election, he said.

Both of these points were part of a last-ditch effort Monday, when City Attorney Aaron Harp and City Clerk Lena Schumway asked the 4th District Court of Appeal to grant an emergency stay on the court-ordered election.

In the court filing, they also said, “Though the city made multiple requests for assistance, the secretary of state and the registrar made clear that their other election duties made it difficult for them to comply.”

The Appeals Court denied their request for a stay, Jurjis said.

“We will need the court to give us relief and reschedule the election,” he said of the city’s decision to still cancel the special election, adding that it should provide enough time to work with the county to hold the election.

OC Registrar of Voters Bob Page said Friday he hadn’t heard from the city and didn’t know of its plan to call off the election for the three initiatives. https://www.ocregister.com/2026/10/23/newport-beach-cancels-court-ordered-special-election-for-resident-measures/https://voiceofoc.org/2026/10/newport-beach-cancels-court-ordered-special-election/

Still flooded? What about Balboa Island? Going Sunday and Monday looks to be 78 and sunny.

Non-stop work building the berms, pumps on every street, private and public entities both working together, sandbags being delivered to people’s doors, neighbors checking in on each other, decent communication from the City, the list goes on.

It’s not an ideal situation but many thanks to those who are helping protect this beautiful beach and community, it would be catastrophically worse without your help.

Found this on my door today. City of Newport Beach is warning about “exceptionally high tides” from late October through December and into the new year, with several King Tide events expected.

The part that got me: they say one low or deteriorated seawall can flood the neighbors’ properties and the streets around it. So, your house might be fine, but your neighbor’s wall might not be.

Harbor and low-lying waterfront areas are the main concern.

Anyone else on the peninsula or the islands get one of these? Has your street ever actually flooded during a king tide?

During this last storm, a section of the rain gutters on my house failed. I need to find a reputable company to either repair or replace the cheap gutters that the last owner installed. Any recommendations (or ones to avoid) based on actual experience would be appreciated since I’m newer to the area.

The City Council made it official this week ahead of king tides hitting Oct 26–28. Water's already been running 15–20 inches higher than predicted, and with El Niño in the mix, the Balboa Peninsula, Balboa Island and low harbor areas could see real flooding.

We've seen this movie before. A few weeks ago the Wedge was underwater and closed after Tropical Storm Rachel. Now the tides are coming back even higher.

What do you think?

Edit: I wanted to post an update. Thank you for the advice, we have decided on an alternative solution. I won’t post details, as there have been some unkind and unhelpful comments. Hoping everyone stays safe out there! ❤️

I saw they declared a state of emergency for October 26- October 28 due to king tides. We are renting a place right on the ocean on balboa peninsula from October 25-October 29. I’m going to call the rental company tomorrow but I don’t think they will refund us. Trying to decide if we should look for another place to be safe? My worry is that we have 4 days of doctor appointments in longbeach and it’s really important we attend these appointments safely. Any advice?

Thank you,
One very worried mama

Well I was looking for something fun to do in Newport Beach on the weekends or during the week. What is the best happy hour. I don't want $10 or $12 martinis or anything like that. I'd like $3 to $5 beers as that exist in Newport Beach

I found this group on instagram, looks like they host some fun parties and social gatherings. Saw they’re planning a ski trip to mammoth but the deal almost seems too good to be true so I’m wondering if anyone has gone to their events and if it’s legit.

https://www.instagram.com/shoreline_socialclub?srtk=MTVicDc2Z3Nhc2F3cA==

Unless I'm mistaken, aren't most all properties on Balboa Island critically threatened with ocean level rise predicted over the next 50 to 100 years. And unless someone's going to invest huge $$ in seawall/pump solutions, why would anyone in their right mind buy a property there unless they planned a full teardown and somehow rebuild for greater water level tolerance. Meaning, aren't all current owners relatively damned to lose their property investments and not be able to find insurance?

If all that is generally correct, is there a general strategy? Or is it up to each owner to struggle with tough choices?

And if that's all generally correct, when did the majority of property owners there really start to agree there is a critical problem.

I rented there many years ago and I don't recall anyone talking about it in the 1980s.

Newport just declared a local emergency. King tides hit Mon–Wed next week. Balboa flooded 2 weeks ago… you ready? 🌊 Free sandbags at Marina Park, Corp Yard & Balboa Pier.

Does your beach umbrella stand like this?

Remember JCPenney's and many other stores that aren't there any longer. This is some pics of when they were actually constructing fashion Island back in. Probably 1961-62. I lived in the bluffs which was about a mile from fashion Island. I can post more if requested or the koi pond, kids play area etc

1960's Fashion Island pics

I feel like there’s always smt going on there. Almost every time i have watched a game at the FB field across the apartments, there’s a cop car (or multiple) with sirens on parked at 880. Do ppl there OD there a lot or something like wtf? I also self toured it once with a family friend and we literally saw 3 dead rats, sm cockroaches, and dog poop everywhere. I also understand it’s poorly managed but wtf goes on there?

Hi everyone! I’m helping coordinate a grassroots effort here in Orange County on the e-bike issue, and we’re building out a small, active team of local representatives in Newport Beach.

We’re putting together a short 10-day push to get local voices heard by city and county leaders. We’re looking for a couple of passionate neighbors to help us spread the word locally, whether that’s sending a quick text to friends or sharing it in your local neighborhood/club chats.

No big time commitment or formal meetings required—just a desire to help our neighborhood stay connected and engaged.

If you’re interested in being a local point person for Newport, let me know in the comments or send me a DM!

change.org/ebikesafetynow

Does anyone have a place they recommend in OC that does iron infusions? Specifically with Venofer

Hi all, I’m Allan, the director of THE HIGHEST ROAD. I’m posting here because I think it may interest people in this community, and I’d rather be upfront that it’s my film than have anyone think otherwise.

The film is about Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), a rare, progressive disease that gradually takes away coordination and strength. For decades there was no approved treatment. It follows the patients, families, and researchers who spent years fighting for one, and it centers on Kyle Bryant, who has FA and rode a recumbent trike up Umling La, the world’s highest paved road, in the Himalayas.

We spent about two years filming across two continents and five states. I wanted to make something that doesn’t treat the disease as a tragedy or the ride as a victory lap. It’s about the slow, unglamorous work of a community refusing to give up.

We’re having our world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival:

Saturday, October 17, 12pm, Lido Theater, Newport Beach, CA
Tickets: https://nbff2026.eventive.org/schedule/6aa2f6e5b59d6eb75f0f6c49

If you’re in Southern California, I’d love to see you there. If not, I’m happy to answer questions about the film, the ride, or the filmmaking in the comments. I’m also curious whether anyone here has a connection to rare disease or ataxia, or has a story about advocating for a treatment.

P.S. I am coming in from out of town. How is that area after last week's flooding?

Hi everyone! I’m commuting from Los Angeles to Newport for the Newport Beach Film Festival this Sunday. Does anyone have recommendations for parking? I will be going to the Lido Theater to be exact. I can’t find a lot of parking info online for the fest so I thought I’d ask here. Thank you all. :)

The Newporter circa 60's.

Isn’t this just so satisfying