RIVERBANK, Stanislaus County — October 15, 2026. Riverbank’s November 3 election has two very different local decisions: City Council elections in Districts 1 and 3 and Measure M, a city ballot initiative about voter approval of development on agricultural and open-space land to the west of Riverbank.
District 1: four candidates for one council seat
The City Clerk’s official Notice of Nominees, published August 19, lists four candidates for the District 1 council seat:
- Luis Uribe
- Jeannette Reyes
- Sherry Fenn
- Nai Nicholas Sosongkham
District 3: two candidates for one seat
For City Council District 3, the same official notice names Carissa Commons and Sammi Martinez. These are separate district contests: a registered voter in District 1 does not vote for the District 3 council seat, and vice versa.
Riverbank has a five-member council comprising four district representatives and an at-large mayor. The municipal elections page explains that council district residency determines which councilmember each voter elects. The official district map and sample ballot are the best way to confirm a residence’s assigned district.
Measure M: Should some development decisions require a citywide vote?
Measure M is titled by the city’s election official as a citizen initiative to require voter approval of urban development on agricultural or open-space land west of Riverbank city limits. The official notice with the ballot question asks whether a majority of city voters should have to approve a City Council decision authorizing or facilitating urban uses on qualifying land west of the existing city boundary.
A yes vote would support imposing that voter-approval requirement as written in the measure. A no vote would reject this proposed requirement, leaving the relevant land-use processes governed by existing law. Neither result alone guarantees that a particular housing, farming or commercial project will be approved or blocked; individual projects would still face any other applicable rules.
The question raises a local policy tradeoff: which decisions should remain with the elected council under existing procedures, and which land-use changes should require a separate vote by the city electorate? Supporters and opponents may disagree about growth, land preservation, infrastructure costs and decision-making accountability. Read the complete measure rather than treating either side’s claims as automatically established facts.
Important difference: district seats versus the citywide measure
Council candidates run in District 1 or District 3; Measure M is a separate question submitted to Riverbank voters. A resident of a neighboring community outside Riverbank city limits should not assume the city measure or council contests appear on their ballot. Use an official Stanislaus County sample ballot for all races specific to a residential address.
California’s regular voter-registration deadline is October 19. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3. For statewide candidates and propositions, consult the California58 Stanislaus County election guide.
Official sources and questions
- Riverbank City Clerk: names of the six qualified council nominees by district
- Riverbank City Clerk: official Measure M question and title
- Riverbank municipal elections and council district map
- Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters
Have campaign-finance documents, a public candidate forum or a correction? Riverbank News accepts submissions at california58com@gmail.com. California58 does not endorse any candidate or ballot measure.
Primary-source reporting: City Clerk’s August 19 Notice of Nominees and July 1 official Measure M notice; reviewed October 15, 2026. The official county sample ballot controls.
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