UPDATED RESULTS GIVE CASSIDY SLIGHT LEAD; SANTOS WINS MOST FIRST-PLACE VOTES
By Steven Tavares
Stephen Cassidy declared victory Wednesday evening after the Alameda County Registrar gave the upstart San Leandro mayoral challenger a narrow lead over Mayor Tony Santos in its latest results.
“I said throughout the campaign that the candidate with the most volunteers backing him or her would win. And that proved correct,” said Cassidy, who also thanked his supporters. “This victory is yours as well.”
The results, which the registrar cautions are unofficial, give Cassidy 50.43 percent of the vote after six rounds of tabulation in the new ranked-choice voting system. Santos garnered 49.57 percent, but in a surprise, received the most first-place votes. Late Wednesday, Santos said he pleased to be the top preference of most voters, but plans to explore a possible recount or legal action before the registrar certifies the election Nov. 30.
“Tell him, I’m not conceding anything,” Santos said of Cassidy’s declaration of victory via Twitter shortly after the 6 p.m. announcement.
The debut of ranked-choice voting in Alameda County has not run as smoothly as advocates would like. Oakland’s equally dramatic mayor’s race was also called for the candidate who did not receive the most first-place votes. Oakland Councilwoman Jean Quan, with the help of fellow Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan, posted a stunning comeback. Don Perata, the former state senator and odds-on favorite, did not make comment Wednesday. Instead, his campaign scheduled a 10 a.m. press conference in Oakland. In many ways, the path Perata takes in challenging the election results may be followed by Santos.
Despite losing in the first round, Cassidy whittled away at Santos’ small lead by winning four of the next five rounds. Councilwoman Joyce Starosciak’s support, or lack thereof, provided the margin of victory for Cassidy. Starosciak supporters broke towards Cassidy by 53-47 percent over Santos, while 1,733 ballots were exhausted before the final round. The registrar also reported 941 undervotes and 78 overvotes that may become the target of any recount by the Santos campaign. By contrast, voters in Oakland casted nearly six times as many ballots as San Leandro residents but amassed 2,798 under and over votes.
ebcitizen.com 
Exactly Barry.
Manuel
LikeLike
RCV is terribly flawed and I hope we dump it after this election. In a real runoff all voters would get to vote for 1 of the 2 top candidates. RCV, among many of its flaws, does not give that chance to the thousands that did not vote for Cassisy or Santos on their ballots as 1 of their 3 choices. I voted for Cassidy, so no sour grapes on my part. I just think it would be best to go back to our traditional runoff system.
LikeLike
Who is the postee above? He says he supported it, but doesn't give a name?
Manuel
LikeLike
P.S. Thank you Ms. Manner's of S.L.:)
LikeLike
RCV was presented to the city and I supported it at the time as well. But the city was not given the truth. And this was confirmed this past week with a law suit regarding RCV in San Francisco. This will show the flaws of RCV and the reason it should be done away with. It is not legal and it should not be used,period.
LikeLike
Odd that Mayor Santos would fault the IRV system. And some of us tried to warn the city council that IRV doesn't provide a 50%+1 majority of all votes.
I read it right here at the East Bay Citizen that Mayor Santos was the most vigorous supporter of IRV for the city.
See SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2010
RCV May Aid Incumbent Mayor in the Fall
Santos Gets Five Extra Months to Rake in the Dough | 'R' Still Comes Before 'S' | Captain Save-A-Country
…
Supporters of Ranked Choice Voting from the left-leaning New America Foundation had the ear of both Mayor Tony Santos and Councilman Jim Prola from the beginning. Both gave passionate speeches in favor and seemed relieved by its passing Tuesday night. Santos even had New America's director, Steven Hill, in his hotel room in the nation's capitol as Tuesday night's meeting headed towards two in the morning Eastern time. Santos' arguments seemed desperate at times. Making like a lawyer, he aimed to put doubt in every single dollar amount given by the city staff. At one point, he called them “not factual”, but focused on the premise the numbers were incorrect and bound to be cheaper than advertised rather than more expensive. Nevertheless,New America's talking points were clearly evident in the discussion of RCV's benefits, namely the notion the voting system is a boon for democracy by increasing voter turnout and making it cheaper for more citizens to run for office.
http://www.eastbaycitizen.com/2010/01/rcv-may-aid-incumbent-mayor-in-fall.html
LikeLike
Why is Santos going to Germany? Didn't he go there one time, looked at the garbage dump there and then billed the City for his trip?
LikeLike
Mom also said–If the shoe fits…
LikeLike
Can we please show a little respect for our posters here and our Mayor too? No need to call someone an ignorant senile fool. Manners and respect do count, just ask your Mother.
LikeLike
Sorry Santos but 22,243 was not the number of valid ballots. Quit trying to play with numbers you ignorant old senile fool. 20,066 ballots were valid, of those Cassidy received 10,119 thereby he got over 50% plus one of the valid ballots cast. He wins you lose and you just continue to embarass San Leandro like you have for the passed 30 years. Have some dignity, I know that's hard to ask for someone so in love with ones image, but at least try.
LikeLike
hey folks, calm down. but do we in fact have a winner? Charter states it takes 50% plus one to be elected to any office. in recent election we had 22,243 citizens who voted. 10119 votes do not constituet a majority. I know I am not proficient in math, but i can divide and multiply. now i ask you: if you are in my shoes with vote being what it is, would you cave? with this group, doubtful. i am not conceding anything. Remember yogi
LikeLike
That's interesting. I would think that if you're at a polling place and your scenario happened the polling workers would take that ballot stamp “void” then give you a new untainted ballot.
Manuel
LikeLike
The machine that scans the ballot at the polling place would reject the ballot and spit it back out if you voted for 2. After that not sure what happens, I think they spoil the ballot. My ballot had an ink smudge from the original printing that lightly filled over one of the bubbles and I had to vote over again on 1 ballot and they spoiled 1 page of my new and spoiled 2 pages of my old. Not sure if my vote even counted.
LikeLike
Aren't “overvotes” when a voter marks two names as on the ballot, therefore their ballot can't be counted? Sounds right; if you screw up your vote it doesn't get counted.
Manuel
LikeLike
Hey chicken dung for brains, Cassidy won the majority of the votes. Case solved. He's the winner. Get over it that Santos was given a “No Confidence” vote.
Manuel
LikeLike
Why don't you people take this Thug Santos and bring him to FL? There are plenty of good ol' boys taht woudl be glad to drop him off in a gator infested swamp! Problem solved.
The Guv
LikeLike
Noone is looking at the real problem with IRV, the 78 overvotes. Those people all tried to vote for someone, but the scanner and the computer program kicked them out. Has any human looked at those ballots or are those voters just disenfranchised by a machine?
LikeLike
The run-off system itself must still produce the result required by the charter. The people of San Leandro, in passing Measure F, required winners receive a majority of the votes. Any runoff system must produce that result or it is in conflict with the charter. Relax, Steven will get enough of Tony's transfers to survive.
LikeLike
The San Leandro Charter says 50% plus one, but in the event this doesn't occur, the City Council shall establish a run-off system to determine the person elected. When the technology became available, the Council by ordinance, could adopt instant run-off voting instead of a special election. This is what occurred. Whoever is ahead after this election is certified by the registrar of voters, wins the Mayor's race.
LikeLike
“(Santos)stands up for working families, seniors and our most vulnerable”
BS! The only “working families” he stands up for are people “working” for city hall with cush, do-nothing, $150K+ year jobs. People who work in the private sector for a living have had nothing but their taxes go up and services go down under Santos. He couldn't even open the new senior center! And the regressive sales tax he supported hurts eldery and working poor the most-especially since folks on SSI didn't get a COLA this year.
Not only does his face deserve to be at the bottom of a urinal, the city sewer should be named after him – cause he's full of sh*t and he stinks!
LikeLike
I just realized why Paul “Manuel” Vargas has been so cranky lately. He's fighting with his boyfriend Lou. We've all read Manuel's writings about the good old days when he, Lou, Allen, and Justin were trying to pass Measure G repealing the transfer tax. The fact that Lou got zero votes not only meant that his wife didn't vote for him and he forgot to vote for himself, it means that none of the Gang of Four supported him. Trouble in paradise Paul? Come to think of it, Paul did spend more time with Gordon Galvan than with Lou at the last candidate's debate…
LikeLike
Hey Jackass Babooze above; SANTOS not only supported and voted for the Rank Choice System he implemented it this year. So you stupid moron, Santos lost and now he's crying about the same system he helped hoist on the City. Screw you Santos!
Manuel
LikeLike
I do really hope and pray that the city council wakes up, that Cassidy can learn to work with others to implement his many good ideas for change and that this cities slide and decline can finally be stopped and we can begin a much needed turn around. There is not much time, we are very close to driving those that can afford it to give up on hopes for improvement/change and leave our city for safer, cleaner and less “ghetto vibe/behavior” areas. There is a nasty edge, tone, behavior and feel in this town that did not used to exist to near this level and quite frankly it was not tolerated, that is making it more and more a unpleasant city to live in.
LikeLike
Do any of you read the Charter? Oakland and San Leandro have different requirements for election. In Oakland, the charter say you need a majority of “continuing votes” to win (section 1105). In San Leandro, you need 50% + 1 of the VOTES CAST in the race (ballots cast minus undervotes). Cassidy is about 900 votes short of that number. Santos is absolutely right to tell the registrar he should run one more round and see how many of his votes go to Cassidy. If Steve is marked on 10% of Tony's ballots he wins, if not he has failed to achieve the charter requirement. It doessn't matter what the ordinance says, the charter makes it clear whatit takes to win.
LikeLike
Sorry to tell you this but San Leandro turned into East Oakland back in 1986 when that criminal Dave Karp was elected and he started getting more low income apartments in San Leandro. Santos was part of that crew and it's WONDERFUL that that arrogant bastard lost!
For the anonymous Babooze State Employee, hey you moron, but Tony Santos was pushing for Rank Choice Voting in 2000 when he and those fools from the Chamber put that crap on the ballot. So shut the hell up if you don't know squat. It is poetic justice that the same system who was in favor turned around and bit him on his butt.
Oh really Santos gives to charity out of his own pocket? Or is it out of that slush fund of tax dollars that the Council give themselves so they can give to “charities”. Davis St. Center is a racket and that two faced Rose Padilla Johnson MacCammon moved out of San Leandro YEARS ago.
Manuel
LikeLike
I don't know how long many of you have been living here but San Leandro started turning into East Oakland way before Tony Santos. That was Sheila Young's legacy. I'm all for new blood but I don't know if that buffoon Cassidy will be able to turn the direction this city's been going in for way too long. It used to be a beautiful, crime-free area along the lines of Pleasanton but no more. I support anyone who can revive it. Good luck.
LikeLike
Don Perata conceded and said he would not co9ntest the election. Coming from him, that is a pretty classy gesture. It is a shame that Tony has not done that yet.
LikeLike
If you love East Oakland you love Santos, that is his legacy, driving this city further into the dumps, both physically and economically.
LikeLike
Wow. How disrespectful all of you are. You should be ashamed of yourselfs. Asking for a face of the Mayor on a urinal at City Hall. WOW…Santos may not be liked by everyone but he sure stands up for working families, seniors and our most vulnerable. Have you ever seen Cassidy passing out free dinners to the poor on Thanksgiving at Davis Stree Family Resource Center? NO. Have you ever seen Cassidy work in a collaborative effort to get things done? NO…he is truly a devisive individual and all you voters that supported him will see his true colors once he serves as your Mayor. Have you ever seen Cassidy give thousands of dollars to our local non profits from his PAY as Mayor…NO. Have you ever seen Santos be investigated by the FPPC….NO. Good luck you guys. I say challenge this guy…Ranked Choice Voting is a joke. I would rather see a runoff between Santos and Cassidy. But have some respect for a Mayor who despite what some people say has truly put our best interest as a City first and foremost and as a resident, state employee, I appreciate your efforts Mayor. Although I will agree, your son is a tad rough around the ages and may have lost you votes on this campaign
LikeLike
In Tavares' interview Santos said he was going to lend his truck to Frank Lynn when Lynn moved out of town. I wonder if Lynn will offer the same to Santos? bahahahhahahaha
Manuel
LikeLike
You old wrinkled Portagee. Get your head out of your @$$ you lost Santos! Get over it and I'm damn glad it was you who got your @$$ thrown out. Where's that big mouth Jr. Santos now?
LikeLike
The classy thing to do would to concede. It's over.
LikeLike
That urinal should have Tony's face on it.
LikeLike
Tony – you're not going to Al Gore your way into the Mayor's Chair. Your immature actions and threat of legal tie-ups just go to cement your reputation as a stubborn, selfish a-hole. There will be no freeway spans, streams or buildings named after you – maybe a urinal in city hall since you pissed away San Leandro's budget surplus.
LikeLike