Recount of Oakland mayoral election approved by county supervisors

OAKLAND, Calif. - Alameda County supervisors have voted in favor of paying for a recount of the Oakland mayoral election. 

The Nov. 8 election used the ranked-choice system. Mayor Sheng Thao won by 677 votes over City Councilmember Loren Taylor. That's half a percentage of votes cast. 

The Oakland branch of the NAACP has been calling for a recount but said they should not have to pay for it. On Wednesday, members praised the board's decision. 

"We got into this, to make as John Lewis would have said, some good trouble, because it was the right thing to do," said Dr. Allie Whitehurst, Oakland NAACP political action chair. 

The recount will include other races in the county that were decided by narrow margins, including the District 4 seat on the Oakland Unified School District Board. The registrar said an error in the algorithm resulted in the wrong winner in that race. 

SEE ALSO: Oakland mayor-elect Sheng Thao determined to bring hope, change and services