Election 2020

California voters rejected increased regulations for dialysis clinics: What comes next?

Nearly 64% of Californians voted “No” on Proposition 23, a measure that would have expanded regulation for dialysis clinics in the state. Though official ballot results are not certified by the Secretary of State’s office until December 11, 2020, tallied ballots show over 10 million people voted to reject the measure. Proposition 23 would have required chronic dialysis clinics to have an on-site physician, report data on dialysis-related infections to the state and get consent from the California Department of…

Why did Oakland’s Measure QQ fare so much better than other youth vote propositions in California?

Oakland’s Measure QQ, which allows 16-year-olds to vote in school board elections, became the sole youth vote measure in California to pass in this election, with over 67% of the vote.  San Francisco’s Proposition G—which would have let 16-year-olds vote in all city elections—is projected to fail by a margin of less than two percentage points, as of Friday. California Prop. 18—which would have granted the right to vote to 17-year-olds who would turn 18 by the general election—failed by…

Ballot measure could increase OUSD teacher diversity, draw legal challenges

There is perhaps no more commonly spoken word in Oakland Unified School Board meetings than “equity.” The nebulous term discussed frequently on agenda items ranging from charter school access to climate change. There is an entire office devoted to the subject, with a specified board agenda.  A new proposition on the ballot could help OUSD advance their equity mission by increasing diversity in hiring and contracting. The only problem—critics say these measures may violate federal civil rights laws. Voters will…

Oakland North Election Day Live Blog

Reporters Qinghui Kong and Manish Kanal reporting from West Oakland this evening. Another “joyful” update from Poplar Street Michelle Pred, from Joy to the Polls, wants to inspire people to be “happy and joyful” while voting. She says musical vans like this one are going to be all over the country.  “Let’s change our country,” Pred said.  She’s going to be at the election watch party happening tonight at Oscar Grant Plaza and is looking forward to it.   “We want…

South Bay residents to decide the future of neighbors who live in RVs

In recent years, Oakland city officials have struggled to address the growing number of residents who have begun living in RVs on the city’s streets. One nearby community in the South Bay is grappling with a similar issue ahead of tomorrow’s election.  Headquarters to Google and home to branches of companies like Microsoft and LinkedIn,  Mountain View has some of the most sought-after real estate in Silicon Valley. A stroll past its manicured yards offers a glimpse of a high-tech idyll…

For Bay Area residents, fire is on the ballot

Dan Detzner watched in shock as the fire spread rapidly into Sleepy Hollow, a neighborhood near his home.  In three hours, the flames engulfed 1,500 homes in Orinda, a suburb of Oakland. Detzner’s house could have been one of them – but the fire wasn’t real. It was a catastrophe model shown by the district’s fire chief. Later, the chief walked Detzner, a retired professor, and his neighbors around their properties to point out vegetation that could easily catch fire. …

California leads the nation in QAnon-supporting congressional candidates

SACRAMENTO — In early April, Republican congressional candidate Buzz Patterson was asked on Twitter if he supports “the Q movement,” a group on the fringe of GOP politics best known for its outlandish conspiracy theories accusing leading Democrats of being part of a secret Satanic cabal that engages in pedophilia and child trafficking. Patterson, a candidate for the seat representing California’s 7th district in suburban Sacramento, left no doubt about his support for the movement — also known as QAnon…