Nomination period opens July 13 for El Cerrito‘s final citywide city council election

Screenshot from a 2026 El Cerrito City Council meeting

The nomination period to fill two El Cerrito City Council seats opens July 13. This is the final time council members will be elected citywide in El Cerrito.

Although the City Council is expected to decide July 7 on how to split the city into five districts for election of council members, the entire process will not be finalized in time for the Nov. 3, 2026 vote.

Both City Council members elected in this race will serve four years.

Candidates for the three seats open in 2028 will need to live within the districts in which they are running and will only be voted on by residents of their districts. Once the City Council selects a district map, it will decide which three districts will elect council members in 2028.

In 2030, the other two council members will be elected by their districts.

For the upcoming election, the terms of Carolyn Wysinger and Gabe Quinto are expiring. El Cerrito does not have term limits, so they are eligible to run for reelection. 

Candidates must be residents of the city and registered voters and cannot be employees of the city. There is no filing fee, but there is a $510 fee if the candidate wishes to submit a candidate statement to appear in the voter information guide.

The deadline for filing nomination documents is 4 pm Aug. 7. If either incumbent does not file by that deadline, the nomination period will be extended to 4 pm Aug.12 for other candidates.

Once the nomination process is final, all candidates will be invited to complete a questionnaire from El Cerrito Wire, which will be published in full. Candidates will also be asked to provide a headshot.

Candidates must follow strict election laws, and are encouraged to contact the city clerk prior to raising or spending money. The city clerk can be reached at 510-215-4305 or via email at cityclerk@elcerrito.gov.

According to El Cerrito’s Candidate Instructional Guide: Running for Elective Office, the City Council typically holds regular public meetings on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6:00 p.m., but council members should be available as early as 5 pm. For the summer months, the City Council typically votes to reduce its regular meeting schedule to the third Tuesday of the month only.

According to the guide, council members receive a salary of $650 a month.

Additional information from the city clerk

 More information on El Cerrito‘s move to district elections