Sunol, California Public Records

This office processes voter registration applications, maintains the county voter file, conducts all federal, state, county, and special district elections, and provides information on candidates, measures, polling locations, and vote-by-mail options. Hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended hours before elections. Residents register to vote online through the California Secretary of State's website at https://registertovote.ca.gov/. California allows online voter registration for citizens with a valid California driver's license or identification card issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The deadline to register for any election is 15 days before Election Day, though California also offers conditional voter registration up through Election Day at vote centers and the Alameda County elections office for those who miss the standard deadline. Voters must be U.S. Citizens, California residents, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not currently incarcerated or on parole for a felony conviction. Pre-registration is available for 16- and 17-year-olds, with registration automatically becoming active upon turning 18. As an unincorporated community, Sunol does not hold its own municipal elections for mayor or city council, as it has no incorporated city government. Instead, residents vote in Alameda County Board of Supervisors elections - District 1 represents the Sunol area - along with special district elections such as Alameda County Water District, East Bay Regional Park District, and Sunol Glen Unified School District. State legislative races for California State Senate and Assembly appear on local ballots, as do statewide offices including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State. Federal elections for U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and President round out the ballot. County Supervisor elections are held in even-numbered years, with four-year terms; the next District 1 election is scheduled for 2026. Local ballot measures affecting the area may include county tax measures, park district bonds, school district parcel taxes, and water district governance issues. Voters can find their assigned polling place or vote center location by using the Alameda County Registrar's polling place lookup tool at https://www.acvote.org/voting/polling-place-locator. California has transitioned to the Voter's Choice Act model in many counties, including Alameda County, which replaced traditional precinct-based polling places with regional Vote Centers that are open for multiple days before Election Day. Any registered county voter can cast a ballot at any Vote Center, regardless of residential address. Vote Centers offer same-day voter registration, ballot drop-off, accessible voting equipment, and multilingual support. In the November 2024 presidential election, Alameda County reported approximately 58% voter turnout among registered voters, with over 900,000 ballots cast countywide. The small population in Sunol means local precinct results typically include only a few hundred ballots. On November 3, 2026, Sunol and Alameda County voters will decide several important races and measures. While California's U.S. Senate seats are not up for election in 2026 - the next Senate race is in 2028 - voters will elect California's Governor and other statewide constitutional officers including Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, Controller, and Insurance Commissioner, as all statewide offices have four-year terms expiring in 2026. Local voters will also elect their member of the California State Assembly (9th District) and State Senate (7th District), as well as their representative in the U.S. House of Representatives (15th Congressional District). Alameda County voters will elect the District Attorney, Sheriff-Coroner, Assessor, and other county offices. Depending on the election cycle, area voters may also see local school board seats, water district board seats, and park district board positions on the ballot. Numerous state propositions and local measures addressing taxes, bonds, governance, and policy issues typically appear on California ballots. California is a universal vote-by-mail state; every registered voter automatically receives a vote-by-mail ballot for each election, mailed approximately 29 days before Election Day. Voters may return their ballot by mail - postage is prepaid and the ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and received within 7 days - at any ballot drop box location throughout Alameda County (available 24/7 and locked until Election Day), or in person at any Vote Center. Voters who prefer to vote in person may do so at Vote Centers, though the mailed ballot must be surrendered. California law (Elections Code Section 2194) makes voter registration information, including names and addresses, a public record available for purchase by candidates, political committees, and researchers, though certain personal information like driver's license numbers and birth dates are confidential. Campaign finance reports for local and county candidates are filed with the Alameda County Registrar of Voters and posted online at https://public.netfile.com/pub2/Default.aspx?aid=COAK. Statewide and legislative candidate filings are available through the California Secretary of State at http://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/. Precinct-level election results for Sunol and all county areas are published on the Registrar's website after each election, showing vote totals by contest and geographic area.