Local Elections

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 at (510) 272-6933 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 3, 2020 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 new 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) will each elect a City Councilmember, and all voters will decide the Mayor's position.

During the 2018 and 2020 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 2020	4-Year Term	Teresa Keng
District 2	November 2022	4-Year Term	Rick Jones
District 3	November 2022	4-Year Term	Jenny Kassan
District 4	November 2022	4-Year Term	Yang Shao
District 5	November 2020	4-Year Term	Vacant
District 6	November 2020	4-Year Term	Vacant

Notes:   1) When the Mayor's four-year term expires in 2020, it will be filled by an at-large election of all city voters.   2) Councilmember Vinnie Bacon and Vice Mayor Raj Salwan will remain at-large councilmembers until their terms expire in November 2020.  Councilmember Bacon will have reached his 2-term limit and Vice Mayor Salwan will be eligible to run to represent District 5.

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 $3,764.52 per month; Council members are compensated $2,118.89 per month.

Eligibility and Candidacy

To be eligible to run for City Council, you must be a registered voter of Fremont at the time nomination papers are issued. Registered voters in Fremont must be U.S. citizens, residents of Fremont, 18 years of age or older on the date of the election, and not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction. Per Election Code Section 201, candidates must be residents and registered voters in the district in which they are running to represent.

Key Election Dates

Monday, July 13, 2020 at 8:00 am
Nomination Period Opened

Friday, August 7, 2020 at 5:00 pm
Nomination Period Closed

Tuesday, November 3, 2020
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 Fremont City Clerk's Office at (510) 284-4060, or contact the Alameda County Registrar of Voters

Resources

• Notice of Election - November 3, 2020 Election
• Basic Steps for Running for Office
• FPPC Candidate Toolkit
• Placement of Political Campaign Signs
• Current Campaign Contribution Limit 2019 effective January 1, 2019
• Chronology of Elections

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).

• Registrar of Voters website