Category Archives: Elections

County Supervisors Tighten Up Election Procedures

Posted on October 16, 2024 by Irene

Alameda County never again wants to see a repeat of the gross mistake made in the November 2022 election, when the wrong winner was declared in the Oakland school board race.  After that election, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors … Continue reading →

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City Council Employs Double Standard on Voting Reform

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Irene

At its April 2 meeting, the city council, after agreeing to lower the cost of candidate statements, considered reviewing other electoral reforms such as campaign finance, ranked choice voting, carving the city into election districts, and expanding the size of … Continue reading →

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Bigger Council Is Not Better

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Irene

Out of the blue, Councilmember Tony Daysog suddenly has a new priority.  He wants to expand the city council from five to seven members.  (Daysog’s Swearing-in Ceremony Speech, Alameda Sun, Dec. 29) What gives?  This expansion was not part of … Continue reading →

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Election Results Reveal Need for Ranked Choice Voting

Posted on December 10, 2022 by Irene

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) was a topic of discussion at Alameda’s 2022 candidate forums and in written questionnaires.  That’s because the voting method is needed in Alameda.  The recent election illustrates the value of RCV.  Majority Rule RCV ensures that … Continue reading →

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Ranked Choice Voting Gaining Steam

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Irene

Ranked Choice Voting gathered steam in the 2022 election.  From statewide to county and city races, the voting method of ranking candidates by preference was adopted by voters in eight more places.  Plus hundreds of thousands of voters across America, … Continue reading →

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Trial by Data

Posted on May 6, 2021 by Irene

The verdict is in.  Alameda’s current voting system falls short on a number of counts. On April 27, the Alameda League of Women Voters hosted a forum that compared various election methods:  Alameda’s current plurality-at-large system, plurality by districts, ranked-choice … Continue reading →

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Democracy on Front Burner

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Irene

Democracy is at the forefront of today’s political debate.  Alameda is no exception. Alameda’s plurality voting system allows top vote-getters to win, even when a majority of voters did not vote for them.  And lopsided expenditures contribute to the impression … Continue reading →

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Infrastructure Ballot Measures Should be Focused

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Irene

On March 17, the city council will discuss placing measures on the November 2020 ballot to raise revenue for city-infrastructure needs.  Items at issue include upgrades to streets and sidewalks, city buildings, and handling the impacts of climate change and … Continue reading →

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Get Pumped

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Irene

Sea level rise will eventually come, but a much more immediate threat to Alameda is flooding caused by stalled, prolonged storm systems.  Major storms are becoming more common as the changing climate causes erratic, unpredictable and devastating weather events. In … Continue reading →

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Taking the Initiative

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Irene

The new year started with a bang at city hall. On January 2, 2019, the city council decided to put a measure on the ballot that challenges the McKay Avenue Open Space initiative previously qualified by citizens wanting to zone … Continue reading →

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