MEMO
TO: HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Asha Reed, City Clerk Oakland, California
DATE: May 2, 2024
Honorable President Fortunato Bas and Members of The City Council:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING
THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR TO REIMBURSE ALAMEDA COUNTY IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $84,000 FOR THE COSTS REQUIRED TO UPDATE THE COUNTY’S ELECTION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO ALLOW FOR YOUTH VOTING
IN SCHOOL DIRECTOR ELECTIONS AND TO TAKE ALL ACTIONS NECESSARY
FOR SUCH REIMBURSEMENT
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
In May Of 2020, The Oakland City Council Approved Resolution No. 88117 C.M.S., A Resolution, To Amend Article XI (Elections) Of the Charter of The City of Oakland to Add Section 1106 To Provide for Voting by Persons Aged 16 And Above for The Office of School Board Director on The Oakland Unified School District Board (Measure QQ). On November 3, 2020, Oakland voters passed Measure QQ.
In November 2021, the City Council passed Resolution No. 88907 C.M.S., which requested that the Alameda County Registrar of Voters (ROV) take all steps necessary, including but not limited to updating its DIMS Election Management System, to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to register to vote and participate in ranked choice voting in the elections of Oakland school board directors.
On April 30, 2024, The Alameda County Board of Supervisors Approved a contract amendment to Approve the First Amendment of a contract with Runbeck Election Services, LLC for purchasing a Custom Build Youth Software to conduct youth voting election, with no change of the contract term of 1/23/24 - 6/30/28, increasing the total amount from $1,470,078.04 to $1,583,078.04 ($113,000 increase). Oakland’s share of this cost would be approximately $84,000. Approval of this contract was the necessary first step to implement youth voting in the City of Oakland.
FISCAL IMPACT
This Resolution authorizes the City Administration to reimburse the ROV up to $84,000 for updates to the ROV’s election management system. The election management implementation costs will be split between the City of Oakland and Berkeley Unified School District, subject to final agreement in the MOU and subject to ongoing negotiations with Oakland Unified School District, in an amount proportionate to the number of preregistered 16 and 17-year-old individuals in each jurisdiction, of which Oakland has approximately 74% of the proportionate population of youth voters.
The full cost to implement and conduct youth voting is still unknown. The current published proposed rate is $9-$21 per voter. The ROV estimates the overall cost of conducting youth voting elections ranges from $126,000 – $294,000. The ROV will add six unfunded positions in the Registrar of Voters' Department to provide year-round support for youth voting, election processing, election canvassing, voter file maintenance, special election billing and youth voting activities. The ultimate cost to conduct the youth voter elections will be charged to the jurisdictions holding youth voting, pursuant to the final MOU brought before Council.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
As a result of Oakland Voters approving Measure QQ (Youth Voting), Staff Recommends That the City Council Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Administrator to Reimburse Alameda County in An Amount Not to Exceed $84,000 For the Costs Required to Update the County’s Election Management System to Allow for Youth Voting in School Director Elections and To Take All Actions Necessary for Such Reimbursement ________________________
Asha Reed
City Clerk, Office of The City Clerk
and Clerk of the Council