Everything to know about ranked-choice voting
Also: A's farewell, Newsom cracks down on sideshows, Thao on encampments
It’s just 1 week until ballots are mailed to voters — and we need your help! Click the links below to get involved.
How to vote using ranked-choice voting
Since 2010, the City of Oakland has used ranked-choice voting (RCV) to elect positions like Mayor, City Council, School Board, and others.
Unlike our state and national elections where we have two elections — a primary and a general election — RCV allows you to rank a large number of candidates in order of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).
How does a candidate win?
A candidate wins if they get more than 50% of the first-place votes
If no one gets 50%, the last place candidate is eliminated, and those votes are reallocated to whoever each voter chose as their 2nd place candidate. This process repeats itself until a candidate reaches the 50% threshold.
It’s important to understand how RCV works because voters could find themselves inadvertently supporting a candidate they may not want to see in office.
Here are a few important reminders:
Rank as many candidates as you like. You can rank one candidate or as many as are on the ballot—it's entirely up to you! If you rank only one, and that candidate is eliminated in a run-off, your vote won’t impact the later rounds.
Vote for each candidate only once. Be sure to rank each candidate only once. Ranking the same candidate multiple times won’t make a difference.
Leave out candidates you don’t want. Don’t feel obligated to rank every candidate. If there’s someone you don’t support, simply leave their row blank so they don’t inadvertently get your vote in a run-off.
For certain races, the Empower Oakland Voter Guide will instruct on which candidates we recommend to rank, if applicable.
You can learn more about how RCV works in this explainer video. If you have any questions, please feel free to respond to this email or reach out to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Office.
In other news…
Governor Newsom signed bipartisan legislation to impose stricter penalties, increase accountability, and strengthen law enforcement’s ability to combat sideshows and street takeovers. (SF Gate)
Last week, Mayor Thao issued an executive order aimed at clearing the city’s homeless encampments. She cited the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision as a catalyst, even though that ruling came down earlier this year in June. However, a number of critics, including the Oakland PD union, called the order a “last-minute political stunt” with Thao’s recall approaching in November. Last month, Thao also went on a public safety campaign to convince voters of improved safety in the city. (SF Chronicle)
Oakland’s chief ethics investigator, Simon Russell, resigned due to the city’s refusal to give his team more resources for staffing, despite his repeated warnings about a staffing crisis. Russell has served in the city’s Public Ethics Commission for the past 8 years, including the past 2 years as chief. In his resignation letter, he also suggested that city officials deliberately underfunded his office. (Oaklandside)
The SF Chronicle published an inside story of how the FBI’s corruption probe in Oakland raised new questions about California Attorney General Rob Bonta, including his ties to top donors. (SF Chronicle)
💚 Oakland Proud
Oakland said farewell to the A’s as the team took the field at the Coliseum for the last time. Fans packed the stadium for the final games as they sent the team off with pride. Emotions were high with countless profiles and obituaries, fan testimonials on what the team means to the Bay Area, and local sports reporter Larry Beil sounding off on A’s ownership in a video that went viral.
✅ Get ready to vote!
Update your voter registration and mailing address
Check your Oakland council district number
Check your County supervisor district number
View Empower Oakland’s 2024 voter guide
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