Sheriff Election — Merced County, California
Merced County, California, Sheriff · the arena · Merced hires this desk in 2028 · not the 2026 Governor · Sacramento remains the capital · UC Merced remains a campus · Atwater and Los Banos remain cities, not this county
The 2028 oval in Merced — not the 2026 Governor, not Atwater, not Los Banos as the county
This page is the arena for this office. Unique teaching for the job lives on the office twin. The county as a place is taught at Merced County, California.
It is not a campaign. Names belong on the official sample ballot. No crown.
This Sheriff is not on the 2026 ballot. California moved sheriff and district attorney to the presidential table. The Governor is 2026. That is a different desk in Sacramento.
Merced hires a Sheriff who still holds two houses — USP Atwater is not this oval
Elections Code § 1300 (AB 759, 2022): sheriff and district attorney with the presidential primary. A 2022 winner serves six years. Merced did not opt out.
- Last regular: Tuesday, 7 June 2022.
- Next regular: the 2028 presidential primary. If no majority under §§ 8140–8141, runoff at the presidential general. Confirm the live 2028 date on the California SOS elections calendar.
- Take office: noon on the first Monday after January 1 succeeding election (Gov. Code § 24200). For 2028 that is the first Monday after 1 January 2029. 1 January 2029 is a Monday, so Monday, 8 January 2029.
- Vacancy: Board of Supervisors appointment (Gov. Code § 25304). Undersheriff temporarily discharges (§ 24105).
The Governor is 2026. That is not this oval. Five Supervisors sit — staggered desks, not this oval. A campus rumor does not hire this badge. Madera is a different county. Atwater is a city. Sacramento is the capital. Merced is the seat. USP Atwater is BOP.
Registrar work sits on M Street — not City Hall as this clerk
Registrar of Voters work for Merced County lists on the Administration campus at 2222 M Street, Merced. That is county elections work — not Merced City Hall as this clerk, not an Atwater clerk as this clerk, not Los Banos as a second board. Confirm registration, sample ballot, and vote-by-mail on sos.ca.gov and countyofmerced.com.
Sample ballot in Merced County, California — not UC Merced as the county
Do not take names from a campus rumor, an Atwater flyer, a Los Banos municipal card, or a Sacramento statewide card as this oval.
- Official candidate list / sample ballot — California Secretary of State and the Merced County Registrar of Voters
- Merced County
- Current Sheriff of record — official Merced County Sheriff listing at countyofmerced.com/353/Sheriff
If a site and the official sample ballot disagree, the sample ballot wins. A majority in the primary can finish the race without a November reprint — confirm the Registrar, do not invent a missing race. Do not invent a 2026 sheriff oval here.
What you are hiring — San Joaquin remainder patrol and two county houses
You are hiring the Sheriff of Merced County, California — unincorporated patrol across Planada, Winton, Delhi, Santa Nella, and the remainder; warrants; civil process; courthouse security at 2260 N Street; and Main Jail at 700 W. 22nd Street plus JLCC at 2584 W. Sandy Mush Road. You are not hiring Merced Police. You are not hiring UC Merced. You are not hiring USP Atwater / BOP. You are not hiring the Governor.
Read the office page for 22nd Street and Sandy Mush as this jailer, Merced as the seat not the capital, UC Merced as a campus, Atwater / Los Banos as not the hall, and Autauga-with-canals as not this rewrite.
Remedy when a writ misses Planada remainder
A bad service or a paper that missed Winton remainder or Santa Nella remainder — this Sheriff’s door and the courts. Five Supervisors are not the internal-affairs substitute for a paper. Not a comment section. Not Merced PD. Not UCPD. Not Atwater as this oval.
Relief when the Merced River floods or the valley fog sits
High water on the Merced River, tule fog on 99, a wreck on I-5, dust on the west side, a night road outside Planada — this county’s mutual aid first. Stanislaus is a different count. Madera is a different count. Mariposa is a different count. Merced city hall is a different government.
Service — papers, an N Street docket, a night shift toward Santa Nella
Papers. A Merced courtroom. Night hours the office actually posts. 911 on an unincorporated 99 frontage remains this badge. 700 W. 22nd and Sandy Mush remain this badge. UCPD does not.
Due process does not wait for a campus rumor
A levy in unincorporated Merced County, California, still needs notice. Confirmation of sale is still the court. The Constitution does not pause because a visitor photographed a campus, or because a visitor photographed Merced as if it were the capital.
Rights from Gustine to Le Grand without becoming BOP
Equal protection on the San Joaquin map. Counsel. Property. Humane custody. A worker at 22nd Street and a family in Merced hire the same Sheriff.