Elections

Conducting Elections

The City Clerk is the elections official for the City of El Cerrito, responsible for conducting municipal elections and provides election support to officeholders, candidates, and ballot measure proponents and opponents.

The City of El Cerrito's regular General Municipal Election is held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November on even-numbered years. The City Council is comprised of five elected councilmembers with staggered four-year terms. There is no limit to the number of terms an individual can serve on the City Council.

The next general municipal election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 for the election of two city council seats.


City Council candidates

To be eligible to run for City Council, a candidate must be a resident of El Cerrito and a registered voter at the time nomination papers are issued. The candidate nomination period is determined by Election Code and begins 113 days prior to the election date. Candidates must wait until the nomination period begins to obtain a nomination packet from the City Clerk. 


Candidates are encouraged to contact the City Clerk for more information prior to raising or spending money towards a campaign for office. The City Clerk can be reached at 510-215-4305 or via email at cityclerk@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us. 

For detailed information about running for elective office, and to view information regarding candidates, please visit the El Cerrito Candidates page.

Ballot Measures

Measures qualify for the ballot in a variety of ways pursuant to California Elections Code Division 9, Chapter 3. A measure can be placed on the ballot by the legislative body (i.e. City Council) or by qualified citizen initiative petition. The initiative petition process is detailed in California Elections Code Section 9200 and 9600.

The legislative body (i.e. City Council), any individual voter who is eligible to vote on the measure, a bona fide association of citizens, or any combination of these voters and associations may file a written Argument In Favor or Against any measure placed on the ballot by the governing body or by initiative.

Measures qualified for the ballot are published in the Voter Information Guide and mailed to registered voters in the city who are eligible to vote. For more information, please visit the El Cerrito Measures page.   

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