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<br />CITY OF SAN LEANDRO <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />Date: <br /> <br />July 5, 2007 <br /> <br />To: <br /> <br />City Council Rules and Communications Committee <br /> <br />From: <br /> <br />Marian Handa, City Clerk <br /> <br />Subject: <br /> <br />UPDATE ON INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING <br /> <br />SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION <br /> <br />This report provides the Committee with an update on the development of an Instant Runoff <br />Voting (IRV) system for use in Alameda County. This report is for information only, and no <br />action is required. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br /> <br />San Leandro City Charter Section 225 authorizes the use of an instant runoff, or ranked choice, <br />voting system when such technology is available to the City. The City's elections are normally <br />held in consolidation with those run by Alameda County, resulting in cost savings for both <br />agenCies. <br /> <br />IRV System Development and Certification <br /> <br />In March 2006, Alameda County entered into an agreement to purchase voting equipment from <br />Sequoia Voting Systems. Included in the agreement between the County and Sequoia was a <br />provision for the development of an IRV system. <br /> <br />The Alameda County Registrar of Voters (ROV) has been providing regular updates on the <br />system development to the three Alameda County cities-Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro- <br />that are eligible to use IRV. The most recent update provided by the ROV was in early June <br />2007. At that time, the development of the IRV system by Sequoia was well underway, and it <br />was anticipated that the system would be submitted for federal testing in the next couple of <br />months. Once the system is submitted for federal testing, it is unknown how long the process <br />would take. <br /> <br />Once the system receives federal certification, the next step would be to submit it for state <br />certification. However, the certification of new voting systems by the Secretary of State (SOS) <br />has been temporarily put on hold. In response to concerns over the security, accuracy, reliability <br />and accessibility of the State's voting systems, Secretary of State Debra Bowen has ordered a <br />top-to-bottom review of the voting systems currently certified for use in California. To <br />