How are empty South Gate seats filled, and did a judge rule on it?

"California Government Code Section 36512 lays out the rules for filling city council vacancies and provides limited options for cities that want to enact their own ordinance. Under the default rule , the council must either fill the position by appointment or call a special election within 60 days."

"First, the council should confirm that an appointment is permitted; a vacancy cannot be filled by appointment if it would result in a majority of the members serving on the council having been appointed ."

"The first ordinance option removes the council’s ability to fill the vacancy by appointment and requires it to call a special election immediately. The second ordinance option still allows the council to fill the vacancy either by election or appointment, but the council must call a special election when a petition with a specified number of valid signatures is filed."

"If a vacancy occurs in an elective office provided for in this chapter, the council shall, within 60 days from the commencement of the vacancy, either fill the vacancy by appointment or call a special election to fill the vacancy."

"If the council calls a special election, the special election shall be held on the next regularly established election date not less than 114 days from the call of the special election."

"an appointment shall not be made to fill a vacancy on a city council if the appointment would result in a majority of the members serving on the council having been appointed."

"the resigning city council member may cast a vote on the appointment if the resignation will go into effect upon the appointment of a successor. A city council member shall not cast a vote for a family member or any other person with whom the city council member has a relationship that may create a potential conflict of interest."

"If a vacancy occurs in an elective office provided for in this chapter, the council shall, within 60 days from the commencement of the vacancy, either fill the vacancy by appointment or call a special election to fill the vacancy."

"If the council calls a special election, the special election shall be held on the next regularly established election date not less than 114 days from the call of the special election."

"an appointment shall not be made to fill a vacancy on a city council if the appointment would result in a majority of the members serving on the council having been appointed."

"If, by the 88th day, during normal business hours as posted, before the day fixed for a regularly scheduled municipal election... (i) no one or only one person has been nominated for any office that is elected on a citywide basis... the city elections official shall submit a certificate of these facts to the governing body of the city and inform the governing body of the city that it may... adopt "

"Notwithstanding Section 10403 , if, by the 75th day before the municipal election, no person has been appointed to office pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2), the election shall be held."

"if the governing body of a city makes an appointment pursuant to subdivision (a), the elections official shall not accept for filing any statement of write-in candidacy that is submitted after the appointment is made."

"Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a city from enacting an ordinance pursuant to Section 36512 of the Government Code, requiring that a special election be held, or from enacting an ordinance pursuant to Section 36512 of the Government Code, providing that a person appointed to fill a vacancy on the city council shall hold office only until the date of the special election, or b"

"If a vacancy occurs in an elective office provided for in this chapter, the council shall, within 60 days from the commencement of the vacancy, either fill the vacancy by appointment or call a special election to fill the vacancy."

"If the vacancy occurs in the first half of a term of office and at least 130 days prior to the next general municipal election, the person appointed to fill the vacancy shall hold office until the next general municipal election that is scheduled 130 or more days after the date the council is notified of the vacancy, and thereafter until the person who is elected at that election to fill the vacan"

"an appointment shall not be made to fill a vacancy on a city council if the appointment would result in a majority of the members serving on the council having been appointed."