Healdsburg Voters Face New City Council Districts

HEALDSBURG, CA — Healdsburg voters will soon cast city council ballots in a new way, as the city moves from citywide contests to district elections, a move that reshapes who residents vote for, who represents them, and when each seat reaches the ballot.

Healdsburg changed its city council election system in 2025 after a legal challenge pushed the city to abandon at-large voting and adopt district-based elections.

The new system divides Healdsburg into five districts with nearly equal populations. Each district elects one council member who must live in that district and represent that area.

The change ends the city’s former at-large system, which allowed every Healdsburg voter to vote for every city council seat on the ballot.

Under district elections, voters will choose only the council candidate who seeks to represent the district where they live.

What's changing

Healdsburg is one of a number of cities around California changing from at-large elections after receiving a letter from the Shenkman & Hughes law firm, alleging a violation of the California Voting Rights Act.

The law firm threatened litigation unless Healdsburg moved to district-based elections for city council members.

In response, city officials launched a districting process, holding public hearings, and adopting a final district map on April 21, 2025.

The first district-based City Council elections will take place in November 2026 for Districts 2 and 4.

Districts 1, 3, and 5 will follow in November 2028 with their first district elections.

Instead of voting for every city council seat, voters will only choose the candidate running to represent the district where they live.

Current councilmembers whose areas correspond to districts 1, 3, and 5 will continue serving as at-large council members until their districts hold elections in 2028.

This week, cities from Sonoma to Walnut Creek announced similar moves to district elections after receiving letters from Shenkman & Hughes.

What's not changing

District elections will not affect voting for citywide or countywide ballot measures, county offices, state and federal races, or statewide propositions.

Voters may still receive a ballot even if their district's city council seat is not up for election that year.

Council members will continue to govern the entire city, not just the district they represent.

City council terms remain four years, and eligible residents may run for office as often as they choose, provided they meet legal qualifications and live in the district they seek to represent.

The city council will continue selecting one of its members to serve as mayor, typically for a one-year term.

District boundaries may be adjusted after each federal census to reflect population changes and maintain equal representation.

Residents living in District 2 or District 4 who want to run for office may contact City Clerk Raina Allan at rallan@healdsburg.gov or 707-431-3316.

The candidate filing period opens July 13 and closes August 7.

Election information, FAQs, and district locators are available at Healdsburg.gov/elections.