Voting in Oakland’s April 15th Special Election
General Voting Information
Q: When will I receive my ballot?
Registered Voters receive ballots in the mail.
All registered voters in Oakland will be sent a Vote by Mail ballot. The ballots will be mailed to voters starting the week of March 17, 2025.
Q: How do I return my ballot?
Option 1: Mailing your ballot
All California vote-by-mail ballots include a return envelope with prepaid postage. After you have filled out your vote-by-mail ballot, place it in the return envelope, seal the envelope, sign on the designated line, and put it into a mailbox. It MUST be postmarked by April 15, 2025.
Option 2: Dropping off your ballot
(Recommended after April 12, 2025)
Fill out your vote-by-mail ballot, place it in the return envelope, seal the envelope, sign on the designated line, and put it into a secure drop box or deliver it to a vote center between April 5 and April 15, 2025, by 8:00 p.m.
Option 3: Vote in person at a Vote Center
If you’d prefer, you can vote in person at one of the nine vote centers across the city before or on April 15, 2025, by 8:00 p.m.
Q: How do I know my ballot was received?
Tracking your ballot
The California Secretary of State offers a way for voters to track and receive notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot. Where’s My Ballot? lets voters know where their ballot is, and its status, every step of the way.
Find out more about how to vote at https://acvote.alamedacountyca.gov/election-information/elections
Ranked Choice Voting Information
Mock ranked choice voting ballot:
Q: What is Ranked Choice Voting?
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) allows voters to rank candidates by preference instead of choosing just one. It works like this:
1st Choice: The candidate you love.
2nd choice: The candidate you like.
3rd or 4th choice: The candidate you like slightly less.
5th choice: The candidate you can stand.
NEVER vote for a candidate you don’t like.
Q: How many candidates do I rank?
You can rank up to 5 candidates, as many or as few as you’d like.
Q: How do I fill out a Ranked Choice ballot?
Find the name of your first choice and fill in the oval next to their name in the “1st Choice” column. Should you have one, then find the name of your second choice, and fill in the oval next to their name in the “2nd Choice” column. Continue until you have ranked all the candidates you choose to rank, up to five.
Q: Can I rank my favorite candidate more than once or in every position? Does my vote get counted if I rank my favorite choice in every position?
Your vote will count only once for that candidate, so it doesn’t help their chances of winning. If they are defeated in a round, you don’t have any backup choices to be counted in later rounds. It does not help your favorite candidate to rank them more than once.
Q: Can I give different candidates the same ranking?
No. When the ballot scanner reads multiple candidates ranked the same, it will not count your ballot.
For more information on ranked choice voting visit: https://www.lwvoakland.org/rcv