It’s been more than a week since Berkeley voters cast their ballots in the March 5 primary. Votes are still being counted, but so far, two measures have passed and we have clear frontrunners in the races for state Senate and Alameda County supervisor.
Mayor Jesse Arreguín will advance to the November election in the race for state Senate, representing District 7, which includes Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond, and won’t run for a third term as the city’s top elected official. The race for the second spot in the general election is still being decided, although AC Transit Director Jovanka Beckles’ lead over Oakland Councilmember Dan Kalb has grown through the week.
Nikki Fortunato Bas has a lead in the Alameda County Supervisor District 5 race as John Bauters leads Berkeley Councilmember Ben Bartlett for the second-place spot. The top two candidates will face off in the general election.
Proposition 1, a statewide measure with implications for mental health services and supportive housing in the county, leads by a narrow margin.
When will we know the final results of the elections?
The results in most races have held relatively steady since the first count of votes was released on March 5 after the polls closed. However, there were still 75,000 more votes to count as of Friday, according to Alameda County Registrar Tim Dupuis, and results could change. The secretary of state has until April 12 to certify the results.
Alameda County began counting mail-in ballots, which can be decisive, on March 7. If a race is close, we may not know the final results for weeks as mail-in ballots trickle in. The registrar’s office will accept mail-in ballots postmarked on or before election day for seven days.
State Senate, District 7
Arreguín’s lead over the field seeking to replace state Sen. Nancy Skinner has been growing, while Beckles appears to be pulling clear of Kalb for second. The Associated Press estimates 84% of ballots have been counted in the race.
The top two finishers in the primary will face off in November’s general election.
Beckles trailed Kalb by 1,663 votes in early results on election night, but overtook him earlier this week as more ballots were counted. By Thursday, Beckles had opened up a lead of more than 2,800 votes over Kalb.
Meanwhile, California Labor Federation President Kathryn Lybarger is falling farther behind the top two. Lybarger racked up high-profile labor endorsements and was the subject of millions of dollars worth of outside spending from unions supporting her campaign and business groups opposing her. But by Thursday, she was nearly 4,000 votes behind Beckles, a bigger deficit from second place than she faced in early returns. (Read more about the race on Berkeleyside.)
They’re all well behind Arreguín, whose vote haul as of Thursday was more than 20,000 votes clear of Beckles, up from a roughly 8,000-vote lead in early results.
Alameda County Supervisor, District 5
Nikki Fortunato Bas is sailing through to November’s primary election for Alameda County Supervisor in District 5, while John Bauters has opened up his lead over Berkeley Councilmember Ben Bartlett, leading by over 2,500 votes. It looks increasingly likely Fortunato Bas will face off against Bauters to represent the county in the November general election, though results could still change as more ballots are counted. (Read more about the race on Berkeleyside.)
Measure B
✅ PASSED: Measure B, a countywide ballot measure to increase the number of signatures required to get a recall election onto a ballot and extend the time Alameda County officials have to verify signatures, passed, aligning the recall rules with the state’s. (Read more about the measure on Berkeleyside.)
Measure H (BSEP)
✅ PASSED: Measure H, a renewal of a longstanding parcel tax, the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program (BSEP), passed with flying colors. The measure earned overwhelming support from voters, exceeding the two-thirds majority it needed to pass. Over the next eight years, BSEP will continue to pay for one of every three teachers in the school district, ensure every middle school student can learn an instrument and fund the entire library program, among other enrichment programs. (Read more about the measure on Berkeleyside.)
Proposition 1
As of Thursday, Proposition 1 is leading by a razor-thin margin. The $6.4 billion bond to construct new treatment beds and housing would also require counties to spend 30% of their Millionaire’s Tax mental health money on supportive housing. Proposition 1 needs a simple majority (50%) to pass. As of Thursday evening, yes votes were only two tenths of a point ahead of the “no” votes, with 91% of votes counted, according to the AP. (Read more about the proposition on Berkeleyside.)
Voter turnout
Turnout for this election is well below the norm for presidential primaries, but beats the record lows initially predicted. Based on Monday’s numbers, turnout is about 34% for the state and 45% for the city of Berkeley. Historically, Berkeleyans typically vote at higher rates than voters across the state. Within the city, this election has followed typical turnout patterns, with high voter participation in the Berkeley Hills and the lowest turnout in the student district near UC Berkeley.
CalMatters, a nonpartisan, nonprofit news site covering the state Capitol and issues related to public policy in California, contributed reporting to this story. Some charts came from a partnership with the Associated Press. Featured photo: Amir Aziz
