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This information pertains only to candidates for the Fremont City Council. If you are running for a special district board as a representative of Fremont, contact the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Candidate Services at (510) 272-6960 for more information.
The General Municipal Election for the City of Fremont is held in November of even-numbered years. The Mayor's seat and three Council seats will be up for election on the November 5, 2024 General Municipal Ballot.
The City of Fremont has six Council districts for City Council elections, as of November 2018, and the Mayor will continue to be elected at-large by all city voters. Under Fremont’s district-based election system, voters may elect City Council candidates only from their district. Learn more information about our transition to the District-Based Election System.
In the November 2018 election, voters participated in the first district-based election when four City Council seats were up for election; District 1 (Northwest portion of the city -- two-year term), District 2 (Central north portion), District 3 (Central portion), and District 4 (Eastern portion). In the November 2020 election, voters in District 1 (Northwest portion), District 5 (South portion) and District 6 (Central south portion) elected a City Councilmember, and all voters decided the Mayor's position.
During the 2024 and 2026 elections, candidates will be elected from districts where they live pursuant to the following timetable:
District | Seat up for Election | Number of Years to Serve | Current Councilmember |
---|---|---|---|
District 1 | November 2024 | 4-Year Term | Teresa Keng |
District 2 |
November 2026 | 4-Year Term | Desrie Campbell |
District 3 | November 2026 | 4-Year Term | Jenny Kassan |
District 4 | November 2026 | 4-Year Term | Yang Shao |
District 5 | November 2024 | 4-Year Term | Raj Salwan |
District 6 | November 2024 | 4-Year Term | Teresa Cox |
Note: When the Mayor's four-year term expires in 2024, it will be filled by an at-large election of all city voters.
Each office serves a four-year term with a two-term limit. The City Council meets on the first, second, and third Tuesday of each month. In addition to regularly scheduled Council meetings, Council members will generally spend time reviewing material in preparation for the meetings, attend additional meetings as necessary, and may be required to travel. The Mayor is compensated $4,313.28 per month; Council members are compensated $2,427.76 per month.
Eligibility and Candidacy
In order to be eligible to hold office as a member of the City Council, a person must be a registered voter in Fremont at the time nomination papers are issued for candidacy. In order to qualify as a candidate in Fremont you must be a United States citizen; a resident of Fremont, a registered voter in the District for which you are running; at least 18 years of age on the date of the next election; and not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction.
Nomination Period
This is the period when individuals officially receive, circulate and file nomination papers for candidacy.
Candidates are encouraged to contact the City Clerk to schedule an appointment to take out and/or file nomination papers.
Additional information about the General Municipal Election, including candidate and voter assistance information will be posted to the website as it becomes available throughout the election season. Please contact Susan Gauthier, City Clerk, if you have questions regarding the upcoming election.
Key Election Dates
Monday, July 15, 2024
Nomination Period opens at 8:00 am
Friday, August 9, 2024
Nomination Period closes at 5:00 pm
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Election Day - Polls Open at 7:00 am and Polls Close at 8:00 pm
Voter Registration
Voters qualify for registration by being a U.S. citizen, aged 18 years or older, a resident of Fremont, and neither in prison nor on parole for a felony conviction. Re-registration is required if you have moved since you last registered, changed your name, or changed your political party affiliation. Per Government Code Section 34883, registered voters must be residents of the district from which the candidate is to be elected.
The voter registration deadline is 15 days before an election. You may register to vote online at the California Secretary of State's website. For more information, contact the Alameda County Registrar of Voters (ROV) (510) 272-6933 or email the ROV for more information.
Resources
- Basic Steps for Running for Office
- FPPC Candidate Toolkit
- Guide to Political Signage
- Current Campaign Contribution Limit 2023 effective January 1, 2023
- Chronology of Elections
- Campaign Disclosures Public Access Portal contains financial information provided by candidates and committees. Please reach out to cclerk@fremont.gov, if you need additional information.
Check out our District Locator Tool, an interactive Council districts map that provides an easy way for residents to look up a location and the resulting district number.
How Do I Find My Polling Place?
(Locations may change between election cycles).
As of November 2018, the City of Fremont has six Council districts. Following the completion of our transition to District-based representation with the November 2020 election, all residents will be represented by a Council Member elected by their District and the Mayor will continue to be elected at-large by all city voters.
This change to transition from at-large to district-based elections was adopted on June 13, 2017 by the City Council with an ordinance approving six new Council districts as shown in the District Map and establishing a phase-in schedule. Check out our District Locator Tool, an interactive Council districts map that provides an easy way for residents to look up a location and the resulting district number.
In the November 2018 election, voters participated in the first district-based election when four City Council seats were up for election; District 1 (Northwest portion of the city -- two-year term), District 2 (Central north portion), District 3 (Central portion), and District 4 (Eastern portion). In the November 2020 election, voters in District 1 (Northwest portion), District 5 (South portion) and District 6 (Central south portion) each elected a City Councilmember, and all voters decided the Mayor's position.
During the 2022 and 2024 elections, candidates will be elected from districts where they live pursuant to the following timetable:
District | Seat up for Election | Number of Years to Serve | Current Councilmember |
---|---|---|---|
District 1 | November 2024 | 4-Year Term | Teresa Keng |
District 2 |
November 2026 | 4-Year Term | Desrie Campbell |
District 3 | November 2026 | 4-Year Term | Jenny Kassan |
District 4 | November 2026 | 4-Year Term | Yang Shao |
District 5 | November 2024 | 4-Year Term | Raj Salwan |
District 6 | November 2024 | 4-Year Term | Teresa Cox |
Note: When the Mayor's four-year term expires in 2024, it will be filled by an at-large election of all city voters.
Prior to the Fremont City Council adopting the Council district map and election sequencing on June 13, 2017, the Council took the following steps: On March 21, 2017, the City launched the process to convert its elections from the current at-large voting system to a district-based process. The Council held six public hearings in this process and considered a variety of draft district maps.
The final map was chosen after the public weighed in during public hearings, by email, via Fremont Open City Hall, our former online citizen forum, and consideration of suggestions and a variety of draft maps submitted by the public and the City-hired demographer. The Council decided that the City's population had to be approximately equally divided into six districts and the districts had to adhere to the rules set by the Federal Voting Rights Act. Districts also must meet criteria as set by the California Voting Rights Act.
How did this election system change come about? Fremont’s move to district-based elections began after the City received a letter on February 15, 2017 from an attorney in Southern California. The letter stated that Fremont’s at-large elections violate the California Voting Rights Act of 2001 (CVRA) and alleged that there was evidence of racially polarized voting in the Fremont election system. Under the CVRA, minimal evidence of racially polarized voting can result in a court ordering a change from at-large voting to district-based voting.
The process and timing were controlled by State and Federal laws. In order to comply, Fremont was required to identify the number of districts, adopt a map, and determine the election sequencing all within 90-days and with a minimum of five public hearings.
Throughout the public hearing process to transition from an at-large to a district-based election system, Fremont’s consultant team presented guidance on what factors should be taken into consideration when creating the new voting districts to ensure Fremont followed legally required criteria.
Background and Public Hearings
The number and make-up of the voting districts were decided upon by the Fremont City Council through six public hearings. (A minimum of five public hearings is required by California Elections Code.) All public hearings (see schedule below in the table) took place at Fremont City Hall, in the Council Chambers, at 7:00 pm. as part of the regularly-scheduled City Council meeting. Watch past City Council meetings.
These public hearings gave the Fremont community an opportunity to weigh in on the composition of the districts during the first two public hearings on April 4, 2017 and April 18, 2017. Then, district maps were drafted and two additional public hearings were held for the public to provide input on the draft maps and proposed sequence of elections on May 2, 2017 and May 16, 2017. An additional public hearing was added and took place on June 6, 2017. At the final public hearing on June 13, 2017, the City Council adopted an ordinance establishing district-based elections.
In preparation for the first two public hearings regarding the consideration of the number of districts and boundaries, the following maps were used to guide the conversation related to considerations the Council could take into account when identifying number and locations of districts for a district-based election system.
Maps from the 1st Public Hearing held on April 4, 2017:
- Total Population by 2010 Census
- Total Population by Race/Ethnicity
- Total Population by Neighborhood
- Distribution of Housing Units by Neighborhood
- Total Population by High School Attendance Area
- Total Population by Elementary School Attendance Area
- Staff Report and Presentation
Maps from the 2nd Public Hearing held on April 18, 2017:
- Pieces Overview with accompanying database
- Pieces and the City's Neighborhoods
- Pieces and Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) High School Attendance Areas
- Pieces and Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) Elementary School Attendance Areas
- Pieces and the City's Business Districts
- Population Estimates by Race/Ethnicity by Piece
- Pieces and the City's Residential Units
- Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay and Transit Locations
- Staff Report and Presentation
Draft District Maps for the 3rd Public Hearing to be held on May 2, 2017:
- Brief Description of Draft Plan Characteristics
- Tentative Election Schedule
- Current Incumbency
- Detailed Data for Draft Plan A
- Detailed Data for Draft Plan B
- Detailed Data for Draft Plan C
- Detailed Data for Draft Plan D
- Detailed Data for Draft Plan E
May 2, 2017 City Council Meeting Agenda and Staff Report
- Chinese
- English
- Spanish
- Tagalog
- Vietnamese
- Draft Maps A-E with High School Attendance Areas
- Map with Citizen Voting Age Population
- Map with Afghan Ancestry Population Estimates
Draft District Maps for the 4th Public Hearing held on May 16, 2017:
- Draft Map Details
- Draft Plan C-1
- Draft Plan C-2
- Draft Plan M
- Draft Plans with Neighborhoods Color-Shaded
May 16, 2017 City Council Meeting Agenda and Staff Report
Draft District Maps for the 5th Public Hearing to be held on June 6, 2017:
- Draft Plan C-1a Color-Shaded Districts
- Draft Plan C-2b Color-Shaded Districts
- Draft Plan C-1a Neighborhoods
- Draft Plan C-2b Neighborhoods
- Detailed Data Tables for Plan C-1a and C-2b plus incumbency table
- Plan C-1a D2-D3 detail with Afghan Community Locations
- Plan C-2b D2-D3 detail with Afghan Community Locations
June 6, 2017 City Council Meeting Agenda and Staff Report
June 6, 2017 Draft Ordinance Plan C-1a
June 6, 2017 Draft Ordinance Plan C-2b
June 13, 2017 City Council Meeting Agenda and Staff Report
Public Hearing Timeline in 2017
All public hearings were held at Fremont City Hall, 3300 Capitol Ave., in the Council Chambers, at 7:00 pm as part of the regularly-scheduled Council meeting.
Date | Event | Comment |
---|---|---|
March 21, 2017 | Resolution of Intention:
City Council adopts Resolution declaring its intention to transition from at-large to district-based elections. |
California Voting Rights Act of 2001 (CVRA) Action cannot be commenced for 90 days. |
March 22- April 3, 2017 | Public Outreach | Re: Process & Participation No maps drawn yet |
April 4, 2017 City Hall 7:00 pm | 1st Public Hearing | Re: Composition of Districts No maps drawn yet |
April 18, 2017 City Hall 7:00 pm | 2nd Public Hearing | Re: Composition of Districts No maps drawn yet |
April 25, 2017 | Post Draft Maps and Potential Sequence of Elections | Re: Draft Maps |
May 2, 2017 City Hall 7:00 pm | 3rd Public Hearing | |
May 9, 2017 | Any Amended Maps Posted | |
May 16, 2017 City Hall 7:00 pm | 4th Public Hearing
Public hearing to receive input from the community regarding content of district boundary draft maps and proposed sequence of elections pursuant to Elections Code Section 10010. |
|
June 6, 2017 City Hall 7:00 pm | 5th Public Hearing
Public hearing to review draft maps, sequence of elections, and introduction of an ordinance of the City of Fremont to transition from at-large to district-based elections |
|
June 13, 2017 | 6th Public Hearing Public hearing/second reading and adoption of an ordinance of the City of Fremont to transition from at-large to district-based elections | |
June 19, 2017 | Day 90 | |
July 6, 2017 | Effective date of ordinance establishing district elections | |
June 19, 2018 | Council adopts resolutions calling for election, requesting consolidation, etc. | |
July 16 - August 10, 2018 | Candidate nomination period | |
November 6, 2018 | First election using new district-based election system |
News Releases
Impact on California Cities
A number of cities in California have been sued since the CVRA was adopted in 2001, and none have avoided the mandate for district-based elections. There is a low threshold for plaintiffs to establish a valid claim under the CVRA, and if the plaintiff prevails, the city is required to pay the plaintiff’s costs. Awards in these cases reportedly have reached upwards of $3.5 million. Considering the significant costs to defend against a CVRA lawsuit and the fact that no city has prevailed, a majority of cities have voluntarily transitioned to district-based election systems.
On January 1, 2017, the California Voter Rights Act Reform (AB 350) became effective which allows cities a “safe harbor” following receipt of a CVRA demand letter. This provides 45 days of protection from litigation to assess the situation, and if a resolution declaring intent to transition to district-based elections is adopted within the 45-day period, then the potential plaintiff cannot file a CVRA action for an additional 90-day period, providing the City time to assess and implement a course of action.
Additional Information
If you have any questions about Fremont’s transition to a district-based election system, contact the City Clerk’s Office by email or call 510-284-4060.
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