Alameda County is heading toward a recount of November’s ranked choice voting elections
Supervisor Carson says county should pay for recount: “I don’t know what freedom costs.”
COUNTY NEWS
RANKED CHOICE VOTING
—RECOUNT COMING—Alameda County supervisors on Thursday moved toward calling for an independent manual recount of last November’s ranked choice voting elections in Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Leandro.
—At a special meeting on Thursday afternoon, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson offered a number of proposals that he hopes will bring short-term confidence back to voters following the incorrect tabulation last November of an Oakland school board contest.
—The disclosure by Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis on Dec. 23 that Nick Resnick, the presumed winner in Oakland’s District 4 school board race, was in fact not the top vote-getter, has raised questions about other close contests, including ranked choice voting mayoral races in Oakland and San Leandro.
—In addition, the margin of victory in a San Leandro City Council race involving two candidates was just 32 votes.
—“Voting is a cornerstone of democracy,” Carson said, before enumerating a number steps that might restore certainty about elections in Oakland and San Leandro, and set the stage for avoiding similar errors in future elections.
—Among Carson’s ideas, which will come back to the Board of Supervisors for approval at its Jan. 10 meeting:
Conduct a manual recount of last November’s ranked choice voting elections in Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, and San Leandro by a third-party, possibly including a registrar from a neighboring county.
Alameda County would pay for the manual recount. “I don’t know what freedom costs,” Carson said. “I don’t know what equity costs.”
Ask the state secretary of state or a judge for an extension to allow the county to reverify the results of the November election.
Select observers from the Alameda County Grand Jury, representatives from the county Democratic and Republican Parties, and representatives from the League of Women Voters, among other groups.
Create an Alameda County election oversight committee.
—All four supervisors in attendance on Thursday voiced support for a manual recount of the vote.
—Dupuis appeared before the Board of Supervisors on Thursday for the second time in nearly three weeks. He took questions on Dec. 20, three days prior to the disclosure that there was an error in the ranked choice voting tabulations in Oakland’s school board race. Dupuis said the correction did not yield any other election changes in the four cities that use ranked choice voting.
—Several members of public called for Dupuis to be held accountable for the grievous error. For his part, Dupuis laid blame for the error on a lack of clarity in local and state election law for implementing ranked choice voting elections.
—When asked if there was any public outreach involving the expansion this election of ranked choices from three to five candidates, Dupuis said, the matter was only discussed with the four local city clerks that use ranked choice voting.
—“It’s very concerning that they did not accurate record the results,” Supervisor Nate Miley later said, and added he believes the county should evaluate the voting system before any other cities contemplate its use.
—Miley also raised the possibility of the county enacting an automatic recount ordinance, but the suggestion was not included in Thursday’s direction to county staff.
—OUSD RACE AFTERMATH—Incumbent Oakland District 4 School Board Trustee Mike Hutchinson said on Thursday that he filed a complaint in Alameda County Superior Court in order to sort out the Registrar of Voter’s election mistake.
—Hutchinson thought he had lost re-election in November only to learn last month that he had actually won. But because the race had already been certified for opponent Nick Resnick, problems exists before Hutchinson can resume his service on the school board
—“I’m really hopeful there can be relief from the Board of Supervisors without going to court,” Hutchinson told the board on Thursday. Nonetheless, a complaint was filed in court, he said.
—Jim Sutton, an attorney for Resnick, raised questions about the legality of the registrar’s retabulation of ranked choice votes.
—Sutton said Dupuis failed to notify the candidates before he retabulated the votes and there was no opportunity to observe the process.
ALAMEDA COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY
—THANK YOU SO MUCH—As expected the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee re-elected Igor Tregub as chair and Tonya Love as vice chair on Wednesday night. The vote for Tregub was 36-8 over Austin Tam. Love was re-elected by acclimation.
—Alameda County Dem stalwart Andy Kelley will continue on as corresponding secretary and Annie Koruga was named recording secretary. The vote in favor of Koruga was 29-4 over Paolo Laverde, with two abstentions.
—Behind the scenes there was some controversy that followed Koruga’s election. Those watching Wednesday night’s meeting on Facebook Live may have noticed a few murmurs from some central committee members.
—PETTY PRICE—On the Zoom side, central committee members saw a curious comment from Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, also a member of the body.
—It’s somewhat unclear what Price is referring to in the comment, but Koruga, a young up-and-coming Democrat and South County activist, had attracted the ire of Price and some of her allies during last year’s election.
—The subject of the Price’s ire reportedly being the central committee’s decision to allow the consideration of Terry Wiley, Price’s DA opponent, for the party’s endorsement.
—Price’s comment seems petty for a newly-minted DA and another example of her propensity for holding grudges.
—BACON BACON BACON—Alameda County Dems also appointed former Fremont Councilmember Vinnie Bacon as its treasurer. The appointment is curious since Bacon has been the subject of fines in the past from the state Fair Political Practices Commission.
ADEM ELECTION
—DEMS DELIGHT—Local government kicks back into gear tonight in a few cities. Most others including the Alameda County Board of Supervisors return to action next Tuesday. In the meantime, one of the most important, yet underreported areas of local and state politics takes center stage.
—East Bay Democrats will choose members for its Assembly District Election Meeting later this month. The position give seven Democrats who “self-identify female” and seven “other than self-identified female” candidates a chance to steer the direction of the statewide party.
—The list of candidates hoping to represent the East Bay’s five assembly districts is long. The registration window for candidates closed on Dec. 31.
In Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ 14th District, 28 total candidates are on the ballot, including Oakland Councilmember Dan Kalb, Berkeley Councilmember Kate Harrison, Peralta Community College Trustee Dyana Delfin Polk, Pinole Mayor Devin T. Murphy, and Oakland firefighters union president Zac Unger.
In Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan’s 16th District, 28 total candidates are on the ballot, including new San Ramon Councilmember Marisol Rubio, former Livermore Councilmember Trish Munro, and former Dublin Councilmember Arun Goel.
In Assemblymember Mia Bonta’s 18th District, 31 total candidates are on the ballot, including three former Oakland mayoral candidates led by Loren Taylor. Also on the ballot: Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and Emeryville Councilmembers Courtney Welch and Kalimah Priforce.
In Assemblymember Liz Ortega-Toro’s 20th District, 28 total candidates are on the ballot, and include a significant number of current and former elected officials, plus several holdovers from the 2022 election cycle. Hayward Councilmember George Syrop, San Leandro Councilmember Victor Aguilar, Jr. and Union City Councilmember Gary Singh are seeking seats, as is Chabot-Las Positas Community College Trustee Harris Mojadedi, and Ortega-Toro’s June primary opponent Jennifer Esteen.
In Assemblymember Alex Lee’s 24th District, 23 total candidates are on the ballot, including three current members of the Fremont City Council—Desrie Campbell, Jenny Kassan, and Raj Salwan.
