Albany elects a five-member City Council citywide using ranked-choice voting, and the City Clerk runs a municipal ballot that also carries Albany Unified Board of Education seats. Jurisdiction: City of Albany, Alameda County. City Council: Five members, elected at large. Voting method: Ranked-choice. Mayor: Selected by the Council. The City of Albany, in Alameda County, has a five-member City Council elected at large by ranked-choice voting, with municipal elections every two years in November of even-numbered years. The Council selects one of its members as Mayor. The City Clerk is the City's elections official. Who runs Albany elections. The City Clerk administers Albany's general municipal and special elections for candidates and measures, prepares the nomination packet, runs the nomination process and certifies results. Albany voters elect City Council members and the Albany Unified School District Board of Education on the municipal ballot; the 2026 election on November 3 carried both, plus local measures. Who can run, and how to file. To hold elective office, a person must be a U.S. citizen, an elector of the City and a resident for 30 days before nomination. Nomination papers are issued by appointment with the City Clerk during the nomination period, 113 to 88 days before the election, and need at least 20 and no more than 30 signatures of Albany registered voters. The City publishes Basic Steps in Running for Office, a Guide to Nomination and Candidacy and an election calendar. The 2026 nomination period has closed; the City notes the extended period is only for non-incumbents. County and district contests. The Alameda County Registrar of Voters runs the ballot and publishes a How to Run guide for county and special-district offices. Special-district boundaries do not follow city limits. Before you brief us on a Albany project. Say whether the race is City Council or Board of Education; both appear on Albany's municipal ballot but are different offices. Council seats are citywide, so materials usually address the whole city rather than one district; confirm with the City Clerk's notice for your election. If you want neutral ranked-choice explanation on a piece, we use the City's published description. What Local Campaign Pros can produce for Albany campaigns. Campaign direct mail: Postcards, letters and folded mailers designed, printed and mailed to the addresses you approve, with postage and mail-house handoff planned in. Lawn signs and walk pieces: Yard signs, stakes, door hangers and walk cards sized for your district, using the name, office and ballot designation you confirm. Campaign printing: Palm cards, flyers, envelopes and event pieces, proofed before anything goes to press. Websites and text artwork: A simple candidate website plus matching graphics for texts and email, built from the same approved copy and photos. How a project gets started. Approved content: Your name as it will appear, the office, a photo and any copy you have approved, including a candidate statement if you file one. Office and boundary confirmed: The exact office, district or seat, checked against the official election source for this place. Quantities: How many signs, pieces or mail addresses you need. We help estimate; you approve the final counts. Artwork and proofs: We design or adapt artwork and send proofs. Nothing prints until you sign off. Production schedule: We plan print and mail dates backward from the official deadlines and election dates you confirm. Are Albany City Council members elected by district? No. The City says its five Council members are elected at large using ranked-choice voting. Who files Albany school board candidates? The City lists Albany Unified Board of Education seats on its municipal ballot, with candidate filings on its election pages. Confirm the current process with the City Clerk. How many nomination signatures are needed? At least 20 and no more than 30 Albany registered voters, according to the City.