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Agenda Item
10 25-0358 Subject: Declaration Of Vacancies And Call For A Special Election For April 15, 2025
From: Office Of The City Clerk
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution (1) Declaring A Vacancy In The Office Of The Mayor And The District 2 Council Office; (2) Calling For A Special Municipal Election On Tuesday April 15, 2025 For The Purpose Of Filling The Vacancies In The Office Of The Mayor And The District 2 Council Office; And (3) Authorizing The City Clerk To Take All Actions Necessary To Hold The Special Municipal Election
In my eComment for Item 9 I presented data on high rates of abnormal ranked-choice votes in the November 2024 election. The April 2025 special election is a unique opportunity for improvement. With only two ranked-choice contests on the ballot, there should be plenty of room on the ballot and in the voter guide to clearly state how ranked-choice votes are counted, and explain why these abnormal votes are not helpful. Please ask the City Clerk to work with the Registrar of Voters on this. I propose refined ballot instructions:
“Rank as many candidates as you wish in order of preference. Your most preferred should be ranked first, so mark the oval in the first column and that candidate's row. Mark ovals for less preferred candidates in other columns.
Your vote counts for your most preferred candidate who has not been eliminated. Until there is a winner with a majority of countable votes, one or more last-place candidates is eliminated, and votes recounted.
Rank only one candidate per column. Otherwise, votes for those and less preferred candidates will not count.
Ranking a candidate in more than one column, or leaving blank columns between rankings, will not change how your vote is counted.
To vote for a qualified write-in candidate, write the name in the blank space and mark the oval for the desired ranking. Votes for unqualified write-in candidates will not count. Contact the Registrar of Voters or City Clerk to verify that a write-in candidate is qualified.”
In my eComment for Item 9 I presented data on high rates of abnormal ranked-choice votes in the November 2024 election. The April 2025 special election is a unique opportunity for improvement. With only two ranked-choice contests on the ballot, there should be plenty of room on the ballot and in the voter guide to clearly state how ranked-choice votes are counted, and explain why these abnormal votes are not helpful. Please ask the City Clerk to work with the Registrar of Voters on this. I propose refined ballot instructions:
“Rank as many candidates as you wish in order of preference. Your most preferred should be ranked first, so mark the oval in the first column and that candidate's row. Mark ovals for less preferred candidates in other columns.
Your vote counts for your most preferred candidate who has not been eliminated. Until there is a winner with a majority of countable votes, one or more last-place candidates is eliminated, and votes recounted.
Rank only one candidate per column. Otherwise, votes for those and less preferred candidates will not count.
Ranking a candidate in more than one column, or leaving blank columns between rankings, will not change how your vote is counted.
To vote for a qualified write-in candidate, write the name in the blank space and mark the oval for the desired ranking. Votes for unqualified write-in candidates will not count. Contact the Registrar of Voters or City Clerk to verify that a write-in candidate is qualified.”