Modesto election filing deadline arrives Friday for seven local races
Modesto’s nomination period for the November 3, 2026, municipal election closes at 5 p.m. Friday, August 7. The deadline applies to three City Council districts and four Modesto City Schools trustee areas, giving candidates a final regular opportunity to enter the filing process for those local races.
The filing period opened July 13. The City Clerk administers the city and school-board election process, according to the City of Modesto’s election information. After the deadline, election officials will continue reviewing filings before the candidate field is settled.
Seven local offices are in the filing cycle
The City Council contests are Districts 2, 4 and 5. The school-board contests are Trustee Areas 1, 3, 5 and 7.
Those races connect the election to both city government and the Modesto City Schools Board of Education. The council seats represent district-level positions in city government, while the trustee-area contests concern the local school board. The approved election materials identify the offices but do not provide campaign platforms, endorsements or other information about the candidates.
The city’s candidate list shows several filings already recorded. District 2 lists Eric E. Alvarez and Juan Telles. District 4 lists Nick Bavaro and Matthew Gonzalez. District 5 lists Jeremiah Williams.
These entries are filed candidates, not a final list of people confirmed to appear on the ballot. The candidate page includes filing and verification fields, and the roster may change as the election office completes its review.
Why the Friday cutoff matters
The deadline is the point at which the regular nomination period closes and the initial field for the affected November races takes shape. It does not, by itself, resolve whether every listed filing has been verified or whether a contest will remain unchanged.
The City of Modesto says California Election Code section 10225(a) may extend the filing period for non-incumbent candidates when an incumbent does not file by the deadline. That provision is a possibility, not a determination that any particular Modesto race will receive extra time.
The available election information does not identify which incumbents have filed or which races might qualify for an extension. That cannot be determined for a specific contest until incumbent filings are finalized.
What happens next
After 5 p.m. Friday, the election office will verify filings and update the candidate information. The final roster will establish which candidates move forward toward the November 3 election in the three council districts and four school-board trustee areas.
For residents, the immediate consequence is that the local election field will become clearer, but not necessarily final on the instant the filing window closes. A race that currently lists multiple filed candidates may still change during verification. Likewise, a race that appears to have a limited field could be affected by the possible non-incumbent extension if the conditions described by the city apply.
The next confirmed election date is November 3, 2026. Until the city completes its filing review, the August 7 candidate information remains a preliminary snapshot of the contests rather than a final ballot.
Sources
- Election Candidate List, City of Modesto
- Election Information, City of Modesto
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