Hercules General Municipal Elections are held in November of even numbered years.  Mayor and Vice Mayor appointments are made annually at the Council’s first meeting in December.  All Council Members enjoy the same power and privileges; however, the Mayor presides over Council meetings, signs official documents, and officiates at ceremonies and events.

Regular meetings of the City Council are held on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m.  Meetings of the Hercules City Council are held in the Council Chambers located at City Hall, 111 Civic Drive, Hercules, CA 94547.

The City Clerk serves as the elections official and is responsible for issuance and acceptance of nomination papers, city measures and the publication of necessary legal notices. In addition, the City Clerk is the filing officer for all campaign and conflict of interest filings required by the Fair Political Practices Commission.

NEXT ELECTION

The City of Hercules will conduct an election on November 5, 2024 for the purpose of electing three (3) Council Members.  For additional election information, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (510) 799-8208. A copy of this year's Election Notice can be downloaded here.

A listing of candidate filing information during the nomination period can be found here: 
Hercules Candidate Tracker 2024 (Available mid-July through December 2024).

NOMINATION PROCESS

The Election nomination period will open on Monday, July 15, 2024 and close on Friday, August 9, 2024.  Please note, City offices are closed on Fridays. The last day to file papers for the City of Hercules is Thursday August 8^th at 5pm.  Appointments for obtaining and filing nomination papers are required and can be requested by emailing the City Clerk at emelendez@herculesca.gov or calling 510-799-8200. Appointments will be scheduled during regular business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday -Thursdays (City offices closed on Fridays).  

Candidates must wait until the nomination period begins to obtain a nomination packet from the City Clerk. Forms include, but are not limited to, the Nomination Paper, Ballot Designation Worksheet, Candidate Statement (optional), Code of Fair Campaign Practices (optional), Statement of Economic Interests Form 700, and Campaign Finance Disclosure statements.

To be a candidate for City Council, you must be registered to vote in the incorporated area of the City of Hercules at the time nomination papers are issued.

In order to qualify as a candidate for a member of the City Council, an individual must be a registered voter and a resident of the City of Hercules at the time nomination papers are issued. Nomination petitions must contain the signatures of at least twenty (20) registered voters from the jurisdiction and must be filed with the City Clerk’s Office no later than the close of the nomination period. If an incumbent does not file nomination papers within the filing period, the filing period will be extended for an additional five calendar days to allow other qualified candidates, except an incumbent, to file for that office.

VOTER REGISTRATION

Voter registration forms may be obtained from the Hercules City Clerk’s office or from the Office of the Contra Costa County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. For voter registration information, please contact Contra Costa County at http://www.cocovote.us/

POLLING PLACES

Polling Places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. Voters may also drop off completed ballots to any ballot drop box. The City of Hercules’ drop box is located at the Hercules Library, 109 Civic Drive. The box will promptly be locked at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. For more information on Polling Places and drop boxes please visit  https://www.contracostavote.gov/elections/

VOTE BY MAIL INFORMATION

To become a permanent Vote by Mail voter, please contact Contra Costa County at www.cocovote.us 

ELECTION RESULTS

Unofficial election results will be posted to the Contra Costa county Election Department website at www.cocovote.us starting at 8:00 p.m. on Election Night and will be updated several times throughout the evening.  These results will include ballots cast at the polls and ballots that were mailed to the Election Department and counted that evening.  The County will continue to update results throughout the canvas period.

POSTING OF POLITICAL SIGNS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY 

City Council approved various locations of city owned property for posting of political signs on public property: 18-020 - City Council Resolution - Election Sign & Map.  The locations include:

• Location A:  Sycamore Avenue at the clock tower
• Location B:  Open space at southeast side of Palm and Sycamore Avenues
• Location C:  Southwest side of San Pablo Avenue at Hercules Avenue starting after the bus stop
• Location D:  Median on Willow Avenue between Canterbury and I-80 off ramp
• Location E:  Northeast corner of San Pablo and Hercules Avenues starting after the bus stop
• Location F:  Southeast and Southwest sides of San Pablo Avenue and Victoria Crescent (not including the landscaped corners, which are maintained by the HOA) 
• Location G:  Corner of Sycamore Avenue and Lupine Road.
• Location H:  Northeast corner of Sycamore Avenue and Willet. 

HELPFUL LINKS

Contra Costa County Clerk Recorders – Elections
http://www.cocovote.us/
California Fair Political Practices Commission
http://www.fppc.ca.gov/