Alameda County Board of Supervisors requests recount of ranked-choice races, including Oakland mayor
OAKLAND -- In Alameda County, several ranked-choice elections were decided by just a few votes and there has been a public outcry by the Oakland Branch of the NAACP for a recount. They took a lot of heat for that demand, but now, it looks like they've been vindicated, as the county itself said, that may not be a bad idea.
Ranked-choice voting has been approved in a number of Bay Area cities because it's more economical, eliminating the need for costly run-off elections. But it's also been criticized for being confusing to a lot of voters. So, after several razor-thin races in November, the NAACP called for recounts. The Registrar of Voters said the group would have to pay for that -- $21,000 per day. But now, the Board of Supervisors has weighed in.
"I'm calling for a hand count, a recount of the election," said Supervisor Keith Carson. He asked the Board to request that another vote count take place, this time manually and at county expense while being monitored by an oversight committee of various stakeholders.
The races involved are the Oakland mayoral race, an Oakland school district race, and two close races in the city of San Leandro. In the mayor and school district contests, the winning candidates have already been formally sworn into office.
"It's not just about this election," said Carson, "but it's about future elections, so people know, in fact, that government is doing everything to make sure that things are transparent, that it could be observed and that their vote does count."
Late last month, the Registrar of Voters, Tim Dupuis, discovered that a mistake may have been made in tabulating the school board race, giving the win to Nick Resnick, when it's possible that challenger Mike Hutchinson actually got more votes. But Seneca Scott, who ran and lost in the mayor's race and has become a crusader for the recount, said it's essential that people on any side of the political spectrum can trust that elections are not being "stolen."
"We're not storming any buildings, but we are passionate about this process," he said. "And this needs to be honored because, if not, I think we're going to have some very troublesome days ahead in America."
In the end, the board voted unanimously to call for the recount.
"That is what we wanted," said Dr. Allie Whitehurst, the NAACP's political action chair. "So, I am very, very happy and I am hopeful that the Board of Supervisors will do the right thing. Because it's the right thing to do."
So far, it's a request, because they're not sure if they can legally require a recount on an already-certified election. Now, it's the lawyers who will be weighing in on the matter.
