On Tuesday, the El Cerrito City Council is set to hold its third public hearing as it transitions to district-based elections for city councilmembers.
For the third time, the council is set to review draft maps, soliciting public input, and providing direction to staff on the draft maps and sequence of elections for district-based Council elections.
According to the staff report, On April 21, 2026, the City Council adopted Resolution 2026-24 declaring its intention to transition to a district-based system for electing members of the El Cerrito City Council. This action was taken in response to the March 17, 2026 letter received from Rexroad Law alleging that the City’s current at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act (“CVRA”) and threatening litigation if the City declined to voluntarily change to a district-based election.
Although the City denies its at-large election system violates the CVRA or any other provision of law, the City Council has determined that the public interest would best be served by transitioning to a district-based electoral system due to (1) the high cost to defend against a CVRA lawsuit, (2) the risk of losing such a lawsuit, which would require the City to pay the prevailing plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees, and (3) the availability of changing to district elections under the safe harbor provision.
The city says, that despite the accelerated 90-day transition process, based on the deadlines imposed by the Contra Costa County Elections department related to district maps, it has been determined that the earliest election feasible for the new district-based maps to take effect will commence with the November 2028 General Municipal Election. As such, elections for City Council seats taking place in November 2026 will continue to use the current at-large election system.
According to the city, On June 2, 2026, the City published three draft maps created by Redistricting Partners to the City’s Districting webpage to make them available to the public for review in advance of this third hearing. Also posted on the City’s website by or on that date, were twenty-one maps that were submitted by members of the public as well as three Community of Interest Forms received by that date.
After taking public testimony, the City Council is asked to provide feedback on the preferred draft map(s) and any changes to be made. The demographer will take that direction and refine the proposed map(s), which will be considered during the fourth public hearing, scheduled for June 16, 2026.
District Formation Criteria
In creating the district boundaries, the City must ensure compliance with the following criteria mandated by the CVRA and the Federal Voting Rights Act:
- Each district must contain a nearly equal population;
- The districting plan must be drawn in a manner that complies with the Federal Voting Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution; and,
- The districts must not be drawn with race as the predominant factor.
Additionally, Election Code section 21130 requires cities to adopt districts using the following criteria to the extent practicable, which are set forth in order of priority:
- Districts shall be geographically contiguous.
- To the extent practicable, the geographic integrity of any local neighborhood or local community of interest must be respected and maintained. A “community of Interest” is a population that shares common social or economic interests that should be included within a single district for purposes of its effective and fair representation.
- District boundaries should be easily identifiable and understandable. To the extent practicable, districts shall be bounded by natural and artificial barriers, by streets, or by the boundaries of the jurisdiction.
- To the extent practicable, and where it does not conflict with the preceding criteria, districts shall be drawn to encourage geographical compactness.
Also, in addition to the drawing and consideration of maps, the City Council also must determine the order of elections – that is, which two or three districts will be on the ballot in November of 2028, and which remaining districts will be on the ballot in November of 2030, as staggered terms are required under state law. The City is required to provide examples of district numbers and sequencing of elections, so examples are provided in
this presentation, with odd number districts up for election in 2028 and even number districts up for election in 2030. Following Council direction on this matter, the final numbering and sequencing of district elections may be adjusted.
More information on District Elections — click here.
If You Go
El Cerrito City Council Special Meeting
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Agenda Packet: Click Here
