(UNION CITY, CA.) – This year in Union City, the position of council member is open for districts 2, 3, and 4.
In this article, information about where to vote, when to vote, how people get nominated for this position, and more will be discussed.
Council members in Union City serve for four years and can be re-elected up to three times in a row. Additionally, council members must take a two-year hiatus if they are elected for three consecutive terms before they can run again.
The official Union City government website briefly details the responsibilities of council members:
“The Mayor and City Council serve as the governing body overseeing city administration, providing direction to City staff to ensure responsive, effective, and high-quality service delivery to residents.”
The current holders of the positions up for election are Jaime Patiño (District 2), Jeff Wang (District 3), and Scott Sakakihira (District 4).
(Photo Credit: unioncityca.gov / Mayor and City Council)
Citizens can provide input to council members through direct contact or by participating in city council meetings.
Nominations:
To become a candidate for election in one of these positions, potential candidates must fill out and submit nomination papers from and to the city clerk in order to appear on the ballot.
Citizens are only eligible to become candidates if they:
*Are 18 years of age by the election date
*Are a U.S citizen and a resident of Union City, CA.
*Are a resident of the district they wish to run for
*Are not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction.
The nomination period begins on Monday, July 13 at 9 a.m. It closes on Friday, August 7 at 5 p.m.
Voting:
The voting period begins on October 24 and closes on November 3. During this time, voting centers around Union City will be open from 9am to 5pm. Additional vote centers will be open for only 4 days but will also operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Registered voters can vote in person at one of these centers or vote by mail if they request or have requested a vote-by-mail ballot to be mailed to their address. The Registrar of Voters office must receive requests for a vote-by-mail ballot no later than Tuesday, October 27 at 5 p.m.
To all those who may not yet be registered to vote: the latest day you can register to vote in order to participate in the upcoming election with a regular ballot is Monday, October 19.
The Union City government website also details how to register to vote as a conditional voter if a citizen misses the deadline to register as a regular voter:
“Conditional Voter Registration is open 14 days before the election and must be done in person at the Registrar of Voters' office or any Vote Center. Vote centers are open 11 days before the election, and their hours of operation may vary.”
Citizens may only vote for candidates who are representing the district the voter lives in.
Important dates:
(Photo Credit: unioncityca.gov / November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election.)
Campaigns:
At this time, there are no active campaigns or candidates for these positions. However, places you can find information about candidates when the time comes include social media (Instagram, Facebook, etc.) and from signs around the city put up by running candidates or supporters.
Additional information about the election can be found on the Union City government website as the election date comes closer.
To see the Union City council in action, check out this article on their January 27 meeting. For more information regarding local government in general, check out this article by OpGov.ai's Chirag Kathrani.
If you have any questions, please email me at madison.v@lead4earth.org or comment below.
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