City of Hayward to hold first public hearing tonight on move to district elections for Council

The City of Hayward is initiating a process to move from at-large to a district-based system of elections for City Council starting in 2026—with the first public hearing on the topic scheduled to take place this evening starting at 5:30 p.m. 

The process for moving from at-large to district-based elections is provided for under the California Voting Rights Act. It was initiated in Hayward by a vote of the Council on April 16 in response to a legal claim that the current election system dilutes the voting power of Asian Americans. 

To facilitate the sharing of information and gathering of community input and feedback on the drawing of district-election maps, the City has established a website at www.maphayward.org. Community members can also ask questions and provide input and feedback by calling (510) 583-4444 or by sending an email to districting@hayward-ca.gov.  

Beginning this evening, the City plans to hold multiple public hearings focused primarily on the drawing of geographic districts from which candidates would eventually run for seats on the City Council. The public hearings will be held in hybrid format to allow for in-person and online participation and are tentatively scheduled to take place at City Hall, 777 B Street. The second hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, May 28, starting at 6 p.m. 

The City of Hayward looks forward to hearing from you and working together with community members to develop a district-based elections map that will best serve all Hayward residents.