OAKLAND – The new election results on Friday showed that Barbara Lee jumped in front of Loren Taylor in the special race of the mayor of Oakland, an increase in the momentum which placed him in a strong position with an unknown number of ballots to count.
Subsequent yields in the race seem to be in favor regularly from Lee, the former longtime MP for East Bay, who has faced a formidable challenge by Taylor, a member of the single council.
It now runs the race from 52.6% to 47.3% in the results of choice, a difference of just under 5,000 votes. And Lee has just over 50% of the votes in first place for 45% of Taylor – a majority which would give her victory if she was held in the results of the final elections.
The last yields on Friday reflected nearly 46,000 new voting bulletins, bringing the total number of votes counted up to nearly 95,000.
Alameda county officials said they had counted all the votes received until Friday, although an unknown number of additional ballots should arrive by mail during the weekend.
About 300 voting bulletins which were poorly filled before their arrival at the County electoral office will be “healed” and treated before the results of the final elections, the registrar of the voters of the County Tim Dupuis.
The absence of clarity on the number of votes is not transformed to darken all understanding on Friday of the real state of the elections and its end of possible game.
The latest results maintained the example in a race for the Oakland municipal council by Charlene Wang, who owned 50% of the votes in first place and appeared on the way to victory.
And the voters appeared by approving a sales tax, measure A, which had received just under 65% of the votes “yes” after the yields on Friday. The measurement only needs a simple majority to pass.
Lee and Taylor, who are far ahead of a field of 10 candidates in the race for the city mayor, are mainly silent since the night of the elections – a palpable sign of uncertainty surrounding the result.
Electoral officials keep Oakland’s political circles at the forefront. A new share of results will not be expected before next Friday, part of a process which, according to Dupuis, helps its office to vote more quickly.
Whoever wins will hold his duties until November 2026, the end of the first mandate of the ex-mayor Sheng Thao. The voters withdrew him from his duties in November, who left the city in a leadership vacuum of several months.
The election of the council, led by Wang, also features Kara Murray-Badal and Harold Lowe, who drag with 33% and 11%, as well as three other candidates.
If victorious, Wang would represent the city district 2, which extends over the Chinese district, Place Jack London and the regions around Lake Merritt, including Eastlake and the San Antonio district. It leads Murray-Badal 59% to 40% in the classified choice results.
The participation rate for special elections across the city was 38% after Friday results.
Shomik Mukherjee is a journalist covering Oakland. Call him or send him an SMS at 510-905-5495 or send him an email to shomik@bayareenewsgroup.com.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
