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Return to Plurality Election, <br />Runoff elections also require additional staff time to administer. Efforts to correct the structural <br />budget deficit resulted in staffing reductions throughout the City, including the Deputy City <br />Clerk/Records Manager position which provided assistance with election administration. <br />Options for Consideration <br />Return to Plurality <br />Reverting back to plurality, or "winner take all," elections would require that the voters pass a <br />Charter amendment eliminating the 50% + 1 vote requirement for a candidate to win election to <br />office. If the Council chooses to place such a measure on the General Election ballot in 2008, the <br />amendment would take effect beginning with the next General Election in 2010. The Council <br />could also call a special election for the Charter amendment, but such an election would be costly <br />to conduct. <br />Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) <br />The City Charter allows the use of an instant runoff, or ranked choice, voting system when such <br />technology is available to the City. Alameda County recently entered into an agreement with <br />Sequoia Voting Systems for new voting equipment. Included in the contract between the County <br />and Sequoia is a provision for the development of an IRV system. The Alameda County <br />Registrar of Voters (ROV) estimates that the system may be available for use in 2008. The City <br />of Berkeley is awaiting development of the IRV system for use in its municipal elections, and the <br />City of Oakland has a Charter amendment on the November ballot to require IRV for all its local <br />elections by 2008; however, an IRV system has not yet been developed and certified for Alameda <br />County, and there is no guarantee that the system will be available by 2008. <br />If IRV is available for San Leandro's 2008 election and the City chooses to use it, there would be <br />an increased cost for printing of special ballots; however, the ROV has indicated it would not <br />charge cities a special assessment for the development of the IRV system. An extensive voter <br />education program would be required in conjunction with the implementation of IRV to <br />familiarize San Leandro voters with this new method of voting. <br />CONCLUSION <br />After Committee discussion on the issues and options, a recommendation should be forwarded to <br />the full City Council to either: 1) place a Charter amendment on a future election ballot to return <br />to plurality elections; 2) implement IRV if the system is developed and certified; or 3) maintain <br />the status quo of June general election and November runoff election in even -numbered years. <br />