Corinne's 2020 Election Guide
Hi, I’m Corinne Smith and I’m the news producer for UpFront, the daily morning show on KPFA Radio. Every year I put out an Oakland, Alameda County, state and national voting guide. I’ve added Berkeley here as well, on request. Feel free to share, and let me know if you have questions. You can follow me on Twitter @cocoluces.
Subscribe to my semi-annual newsletter here.
California State Propositions
Prop 14 Bond for stem cell research: Yes
Prop 15 Taxes commercial properties over $3 mil: Yes
Prop 16 reinstates affirmative action: Yes (important part of the solution)
Prop 17 restores the right to vote after prison: Hell yes
Prop 18 Allow 17 year olds right to vote: Yes
Prop 19 Property tax transfers: Yes (yes realtors will benefit too but I think allowing seniors and people with disabilities flexibility to move is a good thing, and will channel funding to wildfire response)
Prop 20 Rollback criminal justice reforms: Hell no
Prop 21 Allow cities to implement rent control: Yes
Prop 22 Exempts app-based workers (Uber/Lyft drivers) workers’ rights: No (what a nasty fight. all workers should have basic rights like minimum wage, overtime, workers comp and unemployment insurance)
Prop 23 New requirements for dialysis clinics: Yes (apparently this was the result of a union fight, and not really appropriate to decide on the ballot but here we are)
Prop 24 Amends consumer privacy laws: No
Prop 25 Replace money bail with risk assessment algorithm system: Yes (It will reduce incarceration pre-trial, eliminate fines and fees, and diminish the predatory bail bond industry. I listened to our debate with the Yes and No campaigns we hosted on UpFront and it changed my mind)
Oakland Ballot Measures
Measure Y School Bond: Yes (yes, another one. we vote on it every year and it’s one of my long term goals to track this bond money)
Measure QQ Right to vote for 16 year olds in School Board races: Hell yes
Measure RR Eliminate cap on fines for violating ordinances or municipal codes: Yes
Measure S1 Create on Office of Inspector General/Empower the Oakland Police Commission to with a variety of oversight measures: Yes
Oakland Candidates - Rank Choice Voting
District 1: Dan Kalb
District 3: Carroll Fife
District 5: Richard Santos Raya
District 7: Treva Reid
At-Large: Rebecca Kaplan
City Attorney: Barbara Parker
Oakland School Board - Rank Choice Voting
District 1: 1 - Stacy Thomas; 2 - Sam Davis (Austin Dannhaus is pro-charter)
District 3: 1 - Cherisse Gash; 2 - VanCedric Williams
District 5: Mike Hutchinson
District 7: 1 - Kristina Molina; 2 - Victor Volerio
Berkeley Ballot Measures
Measure FF Parcel tax for fire, emergency services and wildfire prevention ($0.10 per square foot) - Yes
Measure GG Tax on ride-sharing companies for city revenue - Yes
Measure HH Utility users tax increase (with exemption for low income households) - Yes
Measure II Create new Police Accountability Board - Yes
Measure JJ Charter Amendment to increase pay for Mayor and City Council-members - Yes (I was surprised to learn during reporting Berkeley news that all the City Council-members have other jobs, mostly out of necessity, and so I think a pay raise will allow them more time and attention to city business)
Measure KK Four-part Charter Amendment for administrative provisions and City Attorney - No (I think firefighters should have to live in/near the community they serve (within 40 miles) and the redistricting commissioners should be voters in Berkeley)
Measure LL Extend tax spending increase approved by voters in 2016 - Yes
Measure MM Three-part amendment to the rent stabilization ordinance - Yes
Berkeley Candidates - Rank Choice Voting
Mayor: Jesse Arreguin (he’s had a disappointing first term, very developer friendly but he did end homeless sweeps in Berkeley. Hopefully he gets more done in his second term. And Wayne Hsuing seems to have an alternative agenda to grow the movement for animal liberation)
District 2: Terry Taplin (exciting new candidate with impressive record in policy and community organizing)
District 3: Ben Bartlett
District 5: Sophie Hahn
District 6: Richard Illgen (new leadership. Susan Wengraf is a relic of the past and the most conservative member of the council)
Rent Stabilization Board (Choose 5 city wide election): Leah Simon-Weisberg, Mari Mendonca, Andy Kelley, Dominique Walker and Xavier Johnson (the Right to Housing slate)
Berkeley School Board (Choose 2 city-wide election): Ana Vasudeo and Laura Babitt
Alameda County Ballot Measures
Measure V Extends existing utility tax: Yes (it’s at the same tax rate of 6.5%)
Measure W Half cent sales tax increase for social services: Yes
BART Board of Directors
District 7: Latifah Simon (strong incumbent)
AC Transit
At-Large: Chris Peeples (incumbent)
Ward 2: Jean Walsh
Alameda County
District 1 (Dublin-Livermore-Fremont-Sunol): Vinnie Bacon
Alameda County Superior Court Judge
Office #2: Elena Condes
California State Legislature
State Assembly 15th District (Richmond-North Oakland-Berkeley): Buffy Wicks
State Senate 9th District (Berkeley-Oakland-San Leandro): Nancy Skinner
Federal
Presidential: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
13th Congressional District: Barbara Lee
Sources
KPFA’s California Ballot Breakdown - where we post pro-con debates, candidate interviews and reporter stories
Bay Curious Prop Fest from KQED
Oakland Rising Action 2020 Voter Guide
Reporting and analysis by KPFA: Ariel Boone on Prop 22
(Will add more as they’re published)
Track your ballot
Alameda County ballot tracking tool
California ballot tracking tool