Title
Adopt a Resolution to Call for a Special Municipal Election to be held June 2, 2026 for Submitting to the Voters a Proposed Charter Amendment Measure for the Transition to a District-Based Elections System Pursuant to the California Voting Rights Act; Consolidating with the Statewide Primary Election; and Setting Ballot Measure Argument Requirements
Staffreport
SUMMARY
In accordance with the California Voting Rights Act (“CVRA”) and relevant code provisions in the Elections Code, the City’s transition to by-district elections requires for the City Council to call for a Special Election to place the Charter amendment question on the ballot for voters. Consequently, and in the interest of reducing time and costs related to conducting a special election, the City may request for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to consolidate its Special Election with the statewide Election the County is administering on June 2, 2026.
RECOMMENDATIONS
If the City Council wishes to place a Charter amendment on the ballot as well as consolidate the election with the County of Alameda’s election, staff recommend the City Council adopt a resolution to:
• Call a Special Election to submit the question to the voters;
• Approve the form of the ballot question;
• Request the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to allow the consolidation of the Special Election with the Statewide Primary Election, to be held on June 2, 2026, and direct the Alameda Registrar of Voters to conduct all necessary services related to the election, and bill the City for the cost of conducting the election; and
• Set forth procedures for the ballot arguments.
BACKGROUND
A. Notice of CVRA Violation.
On November 21, 2024, the City received a notice of potential CVRA violation from Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian, & Ho ("GBDH") on behalf of their client and claimant, San Leandro resident Robert Bulatao. Despite the unsubstantiated allegations raised in the letter, on January 6, 2025, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 25-003, declaring its intention to transition from hybrid at-large to by-district elections for the City Council pursuant to the CVRA. Subsequently on April 7, 2025, the City Council entered into a written agreement with the claimant to complete all requisite public hearings and adopt an ordinance evidencing the City’s transition to by-district elections by July 5, 2025.
B. Public Hearings.
As part of the City’s transition process, the City first held two public hearings on April 21 and May 5, 2025. At that time, the City was not obligated to propose any district maps but instead offered the public an opportunity to provide input regarding the district map’s criteria and composition of voting districts. (Elec. Code § 10010(a)(1).) Public comments were taken into consideration at both hearings.
On May 12, 2025, seven days prior to the third public hearing, the City published the proposed district map on the City’s website (sanleandro.org/1442/District-Elections). (Elec. Code § 10010(a)(2).) The third and fourth public hearings were then held on May 19 and June 2, 2025. This allowed the public two more opportunities to provide input on the City’s transition from at-large to district-based elections of councilmembers as well as the sequence of elections.
C. Next Steps.
At its June 16, 2025 public hearing, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2025-009 that selected the final map and finalized the sequence of by-district elections. Notably, the ordinance did not immediately amend the Charter, but rather the Ordinance would only become effective if City voters approve the Charter amendment via a ballot measure. (See Exhibit A to the resolution). At the same public hearing, the City Council directed City staff to begin implementing the transition through a ballot measure.
Per the City Council’s direction at the June 16, 2025 City Council meeting, staff prepared a draft resolution, available as Attachment A to this report, calling for a special election and consolidating it with Alameda County’s administration of the June 2, 2026 statewide Primary Election.
D. Ballot Measure Arguments.
The resolution establishes the deadline to submit arguments in favor or against the Charter amendment measure as 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The deadline to submit rebuttal arguments, if any, is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 20, 2026. All arguments are filed with the City Clerk. More information about submitting ballot measure arguments is available on the City’s election webpage at sanleandro.org/197/Elections.
The resolution also authorizes the Mayor to draft, select authors for, and file a direct argument in support of or in opposition to the measure. If the Mayor is unavailable or declines to do so, that authority passes to the Vice Mayor; if the Vice Mayor is unavailable or declines, the authority passes to any Council Member.
At the discretion of the authorized councilmember(s), any argument submitted may be signed by bona fide associations of citizens, individual eligible voters, members of the City Council, or a combination thereof, and must comply with the requirements of the California Elections Code.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS
The cost of placing the Charter amendment on the June 2, 2026 election ballot, consolidated with the Statewide Primary Election, is estimated to be $8 to $10 per registered voter in San Leandro, or about $414,488 to $518,110 with 51,811 registered voters. Sufficient funds are budgeted in Elections account 010-11-031-5830 in the FY 2026-2027 budget to pay for the special election.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
This action is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) because it is not a “project” that has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommend that the City Council adopt the resolution in furtherance of the City’s transition to by-district elections.
ATTACHMENTS
A: Draft Resolution to Call for a Special Election
o Ex A: Ordinance No. 2025-009
o Ex B: City Attorney’s Impartial Analysis
PREPARED BY: Richard Pio Roda, City Attorney; and Sarah Bunting, Acting City Clerk