Tax Dollars for Community Services, Not Special Elections
On Monday, April 15th 2024, the Alameda County Registrar of Voters announced the certification of signatures to recall District Attorney Pamela Price, which were submitted by a small group of conservatives backed by corporate money.
The Board of Supervisors will need to approve the certified results in the coming weeks, holding their first hearing on April 30th. They will have between 88-125 days to call the required special election to ask Alameda County voters if DA Price should be recalled.
A special election before the next general election will cost Alameda County taxpayers upwards of $15 to $20 million, expenses which were currently not budgeted for and at a time when our county projects a budget deficit. We need our taxpayer dollars used to prioritize protecting safety net services we residents depend on to keep us safe like health services, affordable housing, tenant protections, and livable wages.
Recently, Alameda County voters approved Measure B, which will consolidate recall special elections with general elections, saving taxpayers millions of dollars and protecting our democracy. Although Measure B is not retroactive, we need you to join us in urging the Board of Supervisors to explore every possible option to consolidate this special election with the November general election. This is the best possible outcome to protect our county from growing our budget deficit.
We urge you to take action today:
- Write a letter today to Board of Supervisors Lena Tam, Keith Carson, and Elisa Marquez to remain champions for protecting democracy.
- Attend the April 30th Alameda County Board of Supervisors meeting and share a public comment demanding that the special recall election be aligned with the general November election.
Use the following script to let your Board of Supervisors know that we can’t afford a special recall election and demand that they align it to the general election in November:
“Hello Supervisor, my name is [insert your name here] and I am a constituent living in your district. To create the conditions for a more equitable democracy in Alameda County, it is critical that special elections be consolidated with regular elections in order to maximize voter participation. Furthermore, we can’t afford to hold a special recall election that will cost taxpayers $20 million dollars at a time of a budget deficit. Thanks to Measure B and your leadership, we can and must consolidate the recall election with November’s general election. I am asking you to prioritize protecting safety net services we residents depend on to keep us safe like health services, affordable housing, tenant protections, and livable wages.”
We also urge you to share a public comment at the April 30th Board of Supervisors meeting using the script above. Stay tuned for how to attend once those details are released.
Together we can call on our elected officials to make the right and wise decision to protect our democracy, uphold the will of the voters, and save our county from going bankrupt.
