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Here's how much it will cost to hold a special Oakland mayoral election

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Updated  November 25, 2024 10:15am PST
Oakland
KTVU FOX 2
article

Sheng Thao speaks onstage at the TAAF Heritage Month Summit at The Glasshouse on May 02, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images for The Asian American Foundation)

OAKLAND, Calif. - Now that Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has been recalled, it's up to the voters to decide who will next lead the city.

So, how much will that cost?

 The cost for a special standalone election is determined by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters.  

At this time, the registrar said the expected cost is between $19 to $21 per voter.

As of Nov. 8, the county registrar noted there are 253,015 registered voters in Oakland. 

Doing the math, that would cost slightly more than $5 million to hold the election.

The number could go down if there are other issues on the ballot. 

This cost comes at a time when Oakland is facing a $93-million shortfall projected in the city's latest revenue and expenditures report. 

Thao will continue to serve as mayor until the City Council declares the results of the election, which is expected on Dec. 5.

The City Council’s resolution declaring the election results is scheduled for the Dec. 17 City Council meeting, according to the city's website. 

Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas would have become the interim mayor, but she won the election to become an Alameda County supervisor.

So, the council president pro tempore, Dan Kalb, becomes council president until Jan. 6, when new councilmembers will be sworn in.

Kalb ran for state senate in the March primary and lost, and so his seat is being taken by newly elected councilman Zac Unger, a firefighter. 

It's at this inauguration that the new city council will vote among themselves for who will become council president and council president pro tempore, according to city rules.

The newly elected council president will become mayor until a new mayor is sworn in after a special election, most likely early to mid-April. 

The city council president pro tempore would serve as council president during that period.