What do you care about most in Palo Alto?
Every issue your city is weighing.
Search, filter, and follow what matters — then weigh in in two minutes.
You're making a difference.
Your issues — what's coming up and what was just discussed.
Every meeting is open to you.
Attend or comment, in person or online — agendas and videos linked.
Coming up
Recently discussed
Know what's happening.
Local reporting from Palo Alto Online and the Daily Post.
You can reach the people who decide.
Every body, every member — contact them directly.
City Council
Seven members, elected citywide. They cast the final votes.
Boards & Commissions
Citizen volunteers — residents like you — who shape recommendations before the Council votes.
City Council Committees
Small groups of councilmembers that review items before they reach the full Council.
Schools
Schools are run by their own elected board — budget, programs, and policies.
Step up. Our town runs on neighbors.
Real, non-partisan ways to give back and get involved.
Get involved
Apply to a board or commission
The City regularly recruits residents to serve on its boards and commissions. Lend your expertise to the issues you care about.
How to apply →Speak up at a meeting
Anyone may give public comment — in person or by Zoom — on agenda items or any local concern. Your comments become part of the official record.
See upcoming meetings →Volunteer with the City
From open-space stewardship and emergency response to the library and the Art Center, the City lists current volunteer openings.
Find opportunities →Give back
Give where you live
The Palo Alto Community Fund channels local donations to dozens of vetted nonprofits serving Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park — your gift stays local.
Donate locally →See who's doing the work
Browse the local nonprofits the Community Fund supports — a quick way to discover causes and organizations active in your neighborhood.
Explore local nonprofits →Your vote is your loudest voice.
Register, get your ballot, see what's on it — official sources only. We never endorse.
Get ready to vote
Register or check your status
Register online in minutes, or confirm your current registration. Deadline Oct. 19 — after that, register and vote same-day at any county vote center.
Get & track your ballot
Every registered voter is mailed a ballot in early October. Track yours by text or email with "Where's My Ballot?"
Find where to vote
Drop your ballot at any official box, or vote in person at any county vote center — open for several days before Election Day.
See what's on your ballot
Your County Voter Information Guide includes a personalized sample ballot — every contest and measure, with impartial analyses.
On your Palo Alto ballot this November
Local offices on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Your sample ballot has the complete official list.
Palo Alto City Council
Four of the seven at-large seats, each a four-year term. The Council casts the final votes on budget, housing, and most major decisions.
City Clerk: elections →PAUSD Board of Education
Two of the five school-board seats, each a four-year term. The board sets the district's budget, programs, and policies.
About the school board →State, county & federal + measures
Governor, U.S. House, state and county contests, and any ballot measures also appear. Your sample ballot has the complete list.
Palo Alto voter page →Hey Palo Alto is non-partisan and doesn't endorse candidates or measures. Dates and offices reviewed June 2026 — always confirm details with the official sources above, which are the authoritative record.
Be ready before it happens.
Quake, wildfire, flood — a few steps on a calm day, from official sources.
Get prepared
Make a plan & build a kit
The City's step-by-step guide for individuals and families: emergency plans, go-bags, water, and supplies.
Be prepared →Know Palo Alto's hazards
The local risks — earthquakes, foothill wildfire, and creek flooding — and how to prepare for each.
Emergency preparedness →Know where to turn in an emergency
Where the City posts real-time information during a disaster — so you know your sources before you need them.
Stay informed →Train & help your neighbors
Train as a City Emergency Services Volunteer to help your neighborhood when help is stretched thin.
Get trained →Wildfire ready
The foothills face real wildfire risk — a prepared home gives firefighters a better chance.
Ready, Set, Go!
CAL FIRE's wildfire plan: get your home ready, stay set, and leave early.
Ready, Set, Go! →Know your evacuation zone
Look up your evacuation zone on Genasys Protect, so you'll know exactly when to go.
Find your zone →Create defensible space (Zone 0)
Follow CAL FIRE's defensible-space guidance — start with Zone 0, the first 5 feet around your home.
Defensible space →We'll tap you on the shoulder.
Choose when to hear about the issues you follow.
Built for neighbors, not for sides.
An independent, non-partisan tool to help Palo Alto residents follow local government — and be heard.
Independent & non-partisan
Hey Palo Alto is an independent website. It is not affiliated with the City of Palo Alto or any campaign, party, or advocacy group. It never endorses candidates, ballot measures, or positions — it shows you what your local government is working on and makes it easy to share your own views with the right officials.
Where the information comes from
Content is generated automatically from public sources: the City's officially published meeting agendas and meeting videos, official city and county webpages, and local news outlets' public feeds. Nothing is written to persuade. Automated summaries can contain errors — the City's published agenda and video are always the official record, at paloalto.gov. "Find it in the video" times are estimates from the published agenda, not transcripts.
Your privacy
The issues you follow and your preferences are saved only in your own browser, on your own device. No accounts, no tracking, nothing sent to a server. Emails you write to officials go from your own email app.
Who's behind it
This site is created and maintained by Mary Kate Stimmler, a Palo Alto resident, acting as a private citizen — not in her role as a City Commissioner on the Human Relations Commission. Questions, corrections, or ideas are welcome: marykatestimmler at gmail dot com.