November 2022 Election Re-Count
Questions and concerns have been raised about the tally by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters of some races in the November 2022 Election.
The Oaklandside published two articles recapping key dates and next steps:
The Registrar has stated that the Oakland Unified School District 4 race outcome was different from his initial announcement, and the County Board of Supervisors is now considering what actions it might or can take legally.
The League of Women Voters will stay involved. Depending upon how wide any review extends, other League’s besides Oakland might be affected. Oakland League President Viola Gonzales presented the following testimony on January 10, 2023.
Dear Board of Supervisors, Alameda County:
The League of Women Voters of Oakland submits the following proposals in response to the
miscount in the OUSD D4 race and community concerns raised about the tally of the Mayoral
race. Our paramount objective is that residents have confidence in the election results. That
can only happen if a clear and transparent process addresses the public’s concerns and
questions.
We recognize that the BOS must first determine whether it can authorize a recount or whether,
since results have been certified, it must petition the court for such authority. If the BOS has
the authority by court order or otherwise to conduct any recount, we ask
1. that you authorize, at a minimum, a full recount by hand of the ballots cast in the
Oakland Unified School District D4 race. We believe this recount should occur whether
or not the courts rule that election results can be changed after they have been
certified. The purpose of the suggested recount would be to determine whether the
hand tally matches the machine tally. We realize that the error was a human error in
choosing software settings and that some research identifies machine counting to be
more accurate than hand counts. However, we believe the cross-checking of hand and
machine tallies would engender confidence in the process, which is our primary goal; and
2. that you consider other measures that may be helpful or necessary to rebuild confidence
in the election results. One such measure might be a recount of pivotal rounds in the
Oakland mayoral race; and
3. that any independent person brought in to oversee or assist in conducting a recount be
an expert in CA election law and have deep experience in election administration and
familiarity with ranked choice voting; and
4. that very specific written rules based on the CA Secretary of State's guidelines for
recounts be set forth for observers. Rules must be posted, observers must agree to
follow the rules, and observers must agree that anyone who disrupts the recount by
failing to follow the rules faces the consequence of ejection.
There is also a question of whether to form an Alameda County Oversight Committee.
On that issue, the League advocates that the BOS maintain full and direct oversight of the
Registrar of Voters. Any additional committee should be advisory only, hold regular meetings
and publicize its agendas. The Voters Choice Act (VCA) already provides for three committees,
including a general advisory committee. We recommend that you first determine whether those
three mandated committees are functioning, i.e., holding regular meetings, with agendas posted
online prior to the meeting, posting minutes in a timely manner and conforming to VCA
requirements. Only then should you consider whether an additional advisory committee is
warranted and that it too meets VCA standards.
Respectfully,
Viola Gonzales, President
League of Women Voters Oakland
Democracy Dollars Update
Oakland voters approved the Fair Elections Act which will introduce Democracy Dollars to Oakland an innovative approach to campaign finance reform. We are the second city in the country, after Seattle, Washington, to adopt this method. Oakland’s charter-mandated Public Ethics Commission which administers the current system of campaign finance is responsible for implementation.
For several years the League has collaborated with a group of nonprofit and good government organizations to research, assess and later recommend Democracy Dollars. We will continue this collaborative work.
Check the blog section of our website for updates
Additional resources:
Small Donor Public Financing, Brennan Center for Justice
In Seattle, a Campaign Finance Plan That Voters Control, New York Times editorial, November 7, 2015
Seattle’s Radical Plan to Fight Big Money in Politics, Vox, November 5, 2018
What the League of Women Voters is Doing About Redistricting in Oakland
What is Redistricting?
Redistricting is the process by which we draw lines around electoral districts, determining who
votes in each district for city council and school board representatives. In 2014, Oakland voters approved a ballot measure placing future redistricting processes in the hands of a citizen commission rather than elected officials. 2021-22 was the first time the law was implemented allowing a citizens’ commission to redraw the district lines.
Why do we redistrict?
Redistricting occurs every 10 years to account for changes revealed by census data. District lines are redrawn to ensure equal numbers of residents in each district.
Oakland’s population grew by 50,000 over the past decade, with increases to the city’s Hispanic, white, and Asian populations, while the Black population shrank, according to Census Bureau data released last week.
Oakland now has a total population of 440,646, up 12.8% from the 2010 total of 390,724. The city is 28% Hispanic (up from 25% a decade ago), 27% white (up from 25%), 20% Black (down from 27%), and 15% Asian (down from 16%), the census data shows. (The number of Asian people living in Oakland grew by 7.3%, even though their percentage of the total population fell slightly.)
The city’s overall gains are due largely to growth in the Hispanic and white populations, which increased by 28% and 18.6% respectively. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of Hispanic people living in Oakland jumped by 27,775, from 99,068 to 126,843.
Source: Oaklandside
How Has the local League been involved?
The League supports independent redistricting commissions at national, state and local levels. Oakland’s League joined these efforts and participated in the writing of Oakland’s 2014 ballot measure. In the run up to the recent redistricting effort, the League spoke up for adequate funding to support the first citizens commission.
Since late 2020 when the commission was formed, the League has attended meetings and advocated on how to best manage the process when it seemed the legislation’s original intent was not being honored or when problems emerged.
We will continue to follow the process through analysis of the commissioners’ own report on how this first citizen-led effort transpired. We will write our own report informed by our observations in Oakland but also by League wide reflections at the state level. The goal is to keep fine tuning the process so that it improves by the next round following the 2030 census. In particular, we will seek clearer guidelines for commissioners regarding how Oakland assets such as Lake Merritt, the Coliseum, the airport, and the Port Of Oakland should be addressed in redistricting.
Redistricting efforts in 2021-22 offer an example of how the League promotes citizen engagement to improve the transparency, effectiveness and responsiveness of local government while providing a trusted source of information for the public. This League work continues under the guidance of the LWVO Action Committee. Contact action@lwvoakland.org to get involved.
Read more here:
Check the blog section of our website for updates. See the Oakland Redistricting Commission’s website for additional background and for the ratified city council and school district borders.
LWVO Webinar
Related correspondence