HAYWARD, Calif., May 23, 2024— The City of Hayward announced on Tuesday the settlement of a lawsuit that commits Hayward to a system of elections for City Council whereby all Council members except the City’s mayor will be elected from geographic districts rather than through at-large citywide contests. Under the settlement agreement, the change will take full effect starting in November 2026 when two of six non-mayoral seats on Hayward’s seven-member Council will be up for election followed by the remaining four non-mayoral seats in November 2028. Elections for mayor will remain at-large. Once in effect, the change means voters