SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Oakland's NAACP says it would support a recount in the city's mayoral race due to concerns about the ranked-choice voting format.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
Sheng Thao was declared the victor in late November over runner-up Councilmember Loren Taylor. After a weeks-long count, the two candidates were separated by less than 1% of the vote, leading to a final call with less than 700 votes separating the two candidates.
"When a vote count is so close as to who is the winner, that causes some concern and it seems to me to be a place to start for a recount," George Holland, President of Oakland's NAACP, told KCBS Radio.
He argued a recount is in order in part due to confusion, especially among seniors over ranked-choice voting where voters can select up to five candidates.
"The older you are, unfortunately, and especially those of us who have been paying for the right to vote for most of our adult life, to have a situation or not and change the rules in the middle of the game just because of cost, that doesn't make much sense," he said.
Holland expressed concern about over votes, selecting more than one candidate in the same ranking, as well as balance with no mayoral candidates selected at all. Alameda County does not have an automatic recount system in place. That would require an outside effort.
"We have estimated that it may cost as much as $100,000 and who has that kind of money?" Holland asked.
While it's not clear whether anyone would be willing to fund the recount, neither Thao or Taylor said they would oppose it.
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
