2022 Year-In-Review: Election integrity is under attack in Alameda County because of incompetence
How to fix it: Fire Dupuis, recount the vote, add automatic recount provisions, get rid of ranked choice voting
—In the late 2000s, the Great Recession hollowed out general funds in many Alameda County cities. Layoffs were brutal. The situation was ripe for a group named FairVote to push a newfangled voting system named Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in which voters ranked their top three candidates.
—Most importantly, RCV’s main talking points was its use would eventually save cities money because it eschewed a primary election and consolidated the entire process into one November election. Including Berkeley, Oakland, and San Leandro would further save money over time, they said even though the initial startup costs would be far greater.
—Oakland and Berkeley approved the implementation of RCV for its first use in 2010. Some may forget the San Leandro City Council initially voted in 2009 against joining their neighbors. San Leandro Mayor Tony Santos had become a big supporter of RCV and often advocated on behalf of FairVote. Santos ignored advice from his campaign team that RCV, its intricacies unknown at the time, would hinder his re-election.
—Santos brought the item back for a second vote and RCV was approved. Santos later lost re-election after RCV votes were tabulated, even though he received the most first-place vote. Santos railed against RCV for years, even testifying in opposition to it at a state assembly committee.
—Then as now, opponents of RCV said the system is confusing. Its proposed benefits —that it increases voter participation, produces consensus-building candidates, and limits the nastiness of campaign—have never revealed itself in the 12 years since its inception in Alameda County.
—To this day, there is no clear consensus for how someone conducts a campaign while using RCV. One of the main stumbling blocks for political consultants and candidates is the counterintuitive idea of teaming up with a rival candidate, as suggested by RCV adherents.
—There was never a need for voters to participate in the gaming of our elections. There was never a need to save money on the most important duty expected of a citizen.
—It’s interesting that we live in a time when the integrity of the vote is seriously in doubt at the national level. On these last days of 2022, the same issue is on the verge of causing immense havoc in our local elections and political discourse. But the reasons here are different. It’s about sheer incompetence.
—For nearly eight years, I’ve complained about Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis’ inability to run a smooth election, along with his tap dance for avoiding transparency and accountability.
—We are within the realm of possibility the Oakland mayor poised to take office next Tuesday is not the winner of the election. Same goes for the next mayor of San Leandro, and a few other city council races in both those cities. We have a school board candidate in Oakland who thought he won a race last month, but woke up on Wednesday to find out the registrar had screwed up and another person had won.
—At this point, sadly, it doesn’t matter if the Alameda County Board of Supervisors call for a recount. If the new results, for example, still show Sheng Thao as the winner in the Oakland mayor’s race, her opponents will use the possibility of illegitimacy against her.
—This is a mess that can only begin to be cleared up with the termination of Dupuis. Will it be done? It’s not likely. Two weeks ago, Dupuis appeared before county supervisors and was thanked for his efforts in this election. Several supervisors lobbed softball questions to Dupuis, despite already growing discontent with his election performance.
These four things must be done immediately:
Alameda County Board of Supervisors must fire Dupuis
Approve a total recount of RCV ballots in Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Leandro.
County supervisors must amend the county code to include an automatic recount of any election that is separated by one percent or less of the vote.
Cities like Oakland should also include similar provisions to avoid putting the onus of securing an accurate result in close races on wealthy candidates or the private sector.
Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Leandro must either rescind their RCV ordinances or send them back to voters in 2024 for further debate.
—To all of you, I wish you a healthy and prosperous New Year. Thank you again for your support in this new endeavor. Next Wednesday will mark one year since its debut and local political journalism trudges on.
-steve
—Stay tuned for the last East Bay Insiders Podcast of 2022 available on Saturday afternoon.
—Here’s a few pictures from the East Bay Insiders Second Annual Company Christmas Party. Dublin Mayor Melissa Hernandez received the first-annual Lily Mei “Moyer of the Year” award, along with a gift, a stolen poinsettia.
