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CITY OF SAN LEANDRO <br />STAFF REPORT <br />Date: October 27, 2009 <br />To: City Council Rules and Communications Committee <br />From: Marian Handa, City Clerk `~ ~ <br />~_~.tt~ <br />Subject: DISCUSSION REGARDING THE USE OF RANKED CHOICE VOTING FOR <br />NOVEMBER 2010 <br />SUMMARY <br />This report provides the Committee with an update on the availability of a Ranked Choice <br />Voting (RCV) system for possible use in the City's 2010 general municipal election, as well as <br />updated information on cost and plans for voter outreach and education for an RCV election. <br />BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS <br />RCV is a voting method which allows the voter to rank candidates in order of preference, <br />eliminating the need for a separate runoff election. Voting systems used in California must pass <br />federal testing prior to certification by the Secretary of State (SOS). The federal testing process <br />appears to have stalled, and in lieu of State certification, the SOS has granted administrative <br />approval for some voting systems. The Sequoia RCV system is the same system that recently <br />received SOS administrative approval for use by the City and County of San Francisco in its <br />November 2009 election. <br />RCV System Approval <br />The cities of San Leandro, Oakland and Berkeley have been in discussions with the Alameda <br />County Registrar of Voters (ROV) regarding the use of RCV for the November 2010 election. <br />The group has also met with representatives from the SOS, and has received assurance that the <br />SOS has all the information it needs to grant administrative approval to Alameda County for use <br />of the RCV system in 2010. The SOS has been informed that Alameda County needs this <br />approval as soon as possible, and ideally by October 31, 2009. <br />Cost <br />The County has drafted a Memorandum of Understanding, which would divide the $350,000 <br />system cost among the three cities based on the number of registered voters in each city. <br />Additionally, the ROV would incur other costs associated with a RCV election, and those costs <br />would be divided proportionately and passed on to the cities as well. The draft cost-sharing <br />MOU is currently being reviewed by the City Attorneys of the three cities. <br />