East Palo Alto, California Public Records

Registration must be completed at least 15 days before an election, though the state offers conditional voter registration through Election Day at vote centers and county elections offices. Eligibility requires U.S. citizenship, California residency, and being at least 18 years old by Election Day. As an incorporated city, East Palo Alto holds municipal elections for City Council seats—four council members plus a mayor. The city uses district-based elections following recent transitions, with council members elected from specific geographic districts. City elections typically occur in November of even-numbered years, consolidated with statewide general elections. The next City Council election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, when voters will decide several council seats. Local ballot measures, if any, also appear on these ballots. Residents can find their assigned polling location using the County's lookup tool at https://www.shapethefuture.org or by checking the county voter information guide mailed before each election. San Mateo County utilizes vote centers for both early voting and Election Day voting. Public election records in California include voter registration information—names and addresses, though not birth dates or driver's license numbers—along with precinct-level election results available at https://www.shapethefuture.org/election-results. Candidate filing documents and statements are also public, as are campaign finance disclosure reports filed through the California Fair Political Practices Commission at http://www.fppc.ca.gov for state candidates and locally with the City Clerk for municipal candidates. In the November 2024 presidential election, San Mateo County reported approximately 68% voter turnout with over 330,000 ballots cast from approximately 485,000 registered voters. On November 3, 2026, East Palo Alto and San Mateo County voters will decide several important races. California will not have a U.S. Senate seat up for election in 2026—the next Senate race is in 2028—but voters will elect all 52 members of California's U.S. House of Representatives delegation, including the district representing the city, currently District 16. The gubernatorial election will be on the 2026 ballot as Governor Gavin Newsom's term concludes that year. State legislative seats including the California State Assembly and State Senate districts covering the area will also be decided. County offices on the ballot may include San Mateo County Board of Supervisors seats, Sheriff-Coroner, District Attorney, Assessor-Clerk-Recorder, and Superior Court judges. California voters automatically receive vote-by-mail ballots sent to all registered voters under state law. Voters may return mail ballots by postal mail if postmarked by Election Day, at official ballot drop boxes throughout San Mateo County until 8 PM on Election Day, or at any vote center. Vote centers open several days before Election Day for early in-person voting.