January 9, 2023
City Clerk's Office
DATE: January 9, 2023
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Pamela Christian, City Clerk
Subject:
Canvas of Returns – November 2022 General Election for
District 2
FINANCIAL IMPACT: None
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
None
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City Council must adopt a resolution confirming and accepting the final results of the votes cast in the
November 8, 2022, General Municipal Election for District
2. This resolution must be adopted before the newly
elected Mayor and Councilmembers are sworn in on
January 10, 2023.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution Declaring the Canvass of Returns
and Results of the General Municipal Election held on
November 8, 2022, for District 2 – City Clerk’s Office
(Pamela Christian 510-620-6513).
BACKGROUND
On June 21, 2022, the City of Richmond adopted Resolution No. 79-22 (attached) calling and giving notice of the holding of a municipal election to be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, for the election of certain officers as required by the provisions of the Charter of said City, requesting the Board of Supervisors of the County of Contra Costa consolidate the municipal election with the statewide general election held on November 8, 2022, and adopting regulations for candidates for elective office AGENDA
REPORT
January 9, 2023
pertaining to candidates’ statements submitted to the voters, costs of candidates’ statements and other fees, word limit for candidates’ statem ents, and action to be taken in case of a tie vote.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Elections Code, the Contra Costa County Elections Department canvassed the returns of the votes cast in the City of Richmond at the General Election held on November 8, 2022, for candidates and Measure P (rent ordinance amendment) submitted to the electorate.
On December 2, 2022, County Clerk Deborah Cooper certified the results of the election). District 2 votes resulted in a tie with candidates Andrew Butt and Cesar Zepeda both receiving 1921 votes. Pursuant to Resolution No. 79-22, if two or more candidates for mayor or in a district receive an equal and the highest number of votes, the City Clerk shall summon the candidates receiving the tie vote to appear before her to break the tie by lot. On Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in the Richmond City Council Chambers, the tie was broken, and Cesar Zepeda won the tie breaker and was named the Councilmember for District 2.
On December 20, 2022, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 179-22 confirming and accepting the final results of the votes cast in the November 8, 2022, General Municipal Election and the results of the tie breaker at its December 20, 2022, meeting.
Following the tie breaker, a recount of the physical ballots was requested by District 2 Candidate Andrew Butt. Upon completion of the recount, on December 23, 2022, County Clerk Deborah Cooper certified the results of the recount for the City of Richmond District 2, votes cast in the November 8, 2022, General Municipal Election:
Andrew Butt received 1918 votes and Cesar Zepeda received 1921 votes.
The City Council must adopt a resolution confirming and accepting the final results of the recount of the votes cast in the November 8, 2022, General Municipal Election for District 2 prior to the swearing in of the newly elected Mayor and Councilmembers set for January 10, 2023.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 - Resolution to Certify the Canvass of the November 8, 2022, General Election recount for District 2
Attachment 2 - Certification of County Clerk as to the results of the Canvass of the City of Richmond District 2 - November 8, 2022, General Election Attachment 3 – Resolution No. 79-22 – Calling for the November 8, 2022, Election