Register by Monday, Oct. 19, to vote on everything from El Cerrito council members to help for middle-income homebuyers

Local voters are deciding on everything from selecting two people in a hotly contested, high-spending El Cerrito City Council race to selecting the next governor of California. The ballot also contains two regional measures - the RTM transit tax and renewal of the WCCUSD parcel tax - that supporters say would result in painful cuts if not passed. 

At the state level, voters will decide on issues such as assistance for middle-income homebuyers, modifying the state’s environmental protection laws to speed up projects like new housing, requiring ID to vote, and a billionaire wealth tax.

If you’re not registered and want to vote on even one of these matters, the easiest option is to register online at https://registertovote.ca.gov by Monday, Oct. 19 so a ballot can be mailed to you.

Once you have your ballot, there are a variety of ways to return it. If you choose to drop it in the US mail, election officials recommend you mail it by at least Oct. 27, a week before the election. It has to be postmarked, not just dropped in a box, by Nov. 3, and officials are warning that could take a few days.

A more reliable way to ensure your ballot is counted is to drop it in one of the secure, dedicated ballot boxes scattered throughout Contra Costa County including in the El Cerrito City Hall parking lot and outside the Kensington Community Center (just up the hill from the library). Those boxes are already open and ballots can be placed in them as late as 8 pm on Election Day, Nov. 3.

In-person voting is already open at the Elections office in Martinez. Five regional early voting sites, including the Richmond Auditorium, will be open Oct. 30, Oct. 31, and Nov. 2. On Election Day, El Cerrito will have four polling places - City Hall, the Community Center, St. Jeromes (308 Carmel), and St John’s Community Center (6500 Gladys).

In El Cerrito six candidates - Gabe Quinto, Wally Nowinski, Forrest Lanning, Mary Ann “MJ” Jawili, Carolyn Wysinger, and Kimberly White - are vying for two, 4-year seats. 

This is the last time El Cerrito residents will select council members citywide. The council has adopted a map that divides the city into five districts.  Beginning in 2028, candidates must run and are voted on only in their specific district. 

For more election news and information see the El Cerrito Wire Elections page at https://elcerritowire.blogspot.com/p/nov-3-2026-el-cerrito-city-council-and.html