Monday (8-29) Berkeley Noontime Rally for Instant Runoff Voting with 2 City Councilmembers

RALLY FOR INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING!
Will of Berkeley Voters must be carried out!


What: Rally to Support IRV
When: Monday, August 29, 12:00 Noon
Where: Berkeley City Hall, 2180 Milvia St., about 2 blocks from the downtown Berkeley BART station


Dear supporters of Instant Runoff Voting,

Please join City Council members Kriss Worthington, Max Anderson, and other IRV supporters on Monday, August 29 in front of City Hall at 12:00 Noon. We will be holding a rally to urge that the Berkeley City Council work harder to implement the Measure I Instant Runoff Voting measure (approved by the voters in March, 2004 with over 72% of the vote) -- so that it can be used in next year's November, 2006 elections.


YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED

Because of the long lead time needed to make the necessary technical arrangements, it's critical that Berkeley make the push for IRV implementation NOW! Councilmember Kriss Worthington will be submitting a resolution on August 29 to place this item on the agenda of the first City Council meeting in September. Between now and the Sept. 13 Council meeting we will also be writing letters to the editor to push for IRV.


NOW'S THE TIME TO PUSH THE BERKELEY CITY COUNCIL TO FOLLOW THE
WILL OF THE VOTERS. Please tell your friends about the rally, and please forward this message to other listserves and interested individuals! With your help, we WILL have IRV in Berkeley next year!
WE'LL SEE YOU AT NOON ON MONDAY AT CITY HALL


Sincerely,


Nancy Bickel
Berkeley Resident
Co-Chair Measure I Campaign

Dave Heller
Berkeley resident
Chapter Vice President
Californians for Electoral Reform

John Selawsky
Director
Berkeley School Board







BACKGROUND:

Have some of you been wondering: What happened to our IRV in Berkeley? Since it was passed in March 2004 by 72% of voters, the Berkeley City Council has not succeeded in implementing Instant Runoff Voting. Berkeley City staff has been actively working with the new Alameda County acting Registrar of Voters Elaine Ginnold, and other citizens and officials to implement IRV, but appropriate equipment may not be in use in the County by the November 2006 Berkeley elections.

It's the Berkeley City Council's responsibility to implement Berkeley law. The Berkeley City Council should explore all options. Councilmember Worthington and former City Clerk Sherry Kelly, working on IRV issues for the City, are currently consulting with the Berkeley City Attorney and others about options that would comply with the language of Measure I. Councilmember Worthington hopes that his resolution will suggest options that are both practical and legal for implementing IRV in Berkeley as soon as possible, in time for the November, 2006 elections.

Measure I specified that a Berkeley IRV election would "not preclude the City from consolidating its municipal elections with the County," so finding a solution that is both legal and technically and financially feasible is a challenge. Some possibilities the City might want to consider are: using another vendor (one vendor already has given a quote to the city of $1.55 per registered voter to run the election, a very reasonable proposal), or doing a hand count, like Cambridge, Massachusetts did for decades.

The Berkeley City Council needs to start getting serious about implementing instant runoff voting. No more excuses, it's the will of the voters.