Alameda County Elections Commission Meeting - June 24, 2026

Note: The transcript indicates the meeting occurred on June 18, 2026, but the provided metadata specifies June 24, 2026. This summary uses the metadata date as instructed.

The Alameda County Elections Commission met on June 24, 2026, to receive updates on recent elections, discuss youth voting initiatives, review memoranda of understanding (MOUs) for ranked-choice voting and general election services, and begin drafting a post-election assessment. The meeting included reports from the Registrar of Voters (ROV), four ad hoc committees, and public comments.

Consent Calendar

• The meeting began with roll call, establishing a quorum. The agenda was approved by acclamation. Meeting minutes were approved by motion (Commissioner Lindsay, seconded by Commissioner Butter) without objection.

Announcements & Communications

• Commissioner Butter raised a question about the administration's request for California voter rolls; it was suggested he agendize the topic for a future meeting.
• Commissioner Barley reported receiving two ballots for her district (special election and general) and had correctly handled them.
• Commissioner Lindsay praised staff for including video timestamps in the minutes and for adding live links to attachments in agenda packets.
• Chair Dieter clarified speaking times (3 minutes) for public comments and noted a correction to the agenda regarding that.

Monthly Update from the Registrar of Voters (ROV)

• June 2 Primary: Approximately 42% turnout, described as “very good” for a midterm. Alameda County led large counties in turnout percentage. Processing is winding down, with only cured ballots remaining (ballots missing signatures or with mismatched signatures).
• June 16 Election: An update was posted at 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting. All ballots received to date have been processed. Next update scheduled for June 24, with certification on June 25. The expedited timeline is on track.
• Commissioners commended the ROV for outreach (signs at BART, freeways, “thank you for voting” messaging) and rapid response to ballot box overflow issues.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Preston Jordan, Albany City Councilmember (agenda item 7B – Youth Participation): Expressed frustration that the ROV had not responded to the city’s requests for youth voting cost estimates since January 2026, despite multiple follow-ups. He stated the city cannot proceed with lowering the voting age without that information and asked for the commission’s help. The ROV clarified that the formal request from Albany Unified was recent and that they will provide an estimate before the next meeting.
• Mark Nuñez (sp?), Berkeley City Clerk (agenda item 8B – General MOU): Supported creating a general MOU between the ROV and cities for election services, noting it would clarify shared expectations and cost structures.
• Zach (agenda item 8B): Made a rambling statement referencing various legal codes and conspiracy theories; no clear position on the agenda item.

Discussion Items

Ad Hoc Committee Reports

• Voting Participation (Commissioner Seabrook): Data collection is ongoing; after gathering data on African American voters, the committee is now seeking data on Hispanic and other demographics. A request has been made to a data-holding group. Met this month with limited progress.
• Youth Participation (Commissioner Barley): The committee met and discussed Albany’s delay in implementing youth voting due to a pending cost estimate from the ROV. They plan to work with the ROV to create a cost chart for interested cities. Commissioner Butter asked to see the youth voting MOU; the ROV agreed to share it as a public document. Discussion included whether Fremont’s charter status affects its ability to adopt youth voting. The ROV stated the deadline for jurisdictions to decide on youth voting for the November election is June 30. For Albany Unified, a cost estimate will be provided by the end of the week.
• Budgeting for Elections (Commissioner Wagner): No report; the committee has not met. Commissioner Wagner noted the complexity of the budget algorithm and proposed producing a plain-English explanation of the cost allocation process.
• Rules and Procedures (Chair Dieter): Proposed additions to the commission’s rules were reviewed. Commissioners offered feedback, including suggestions to adjust language on remote participation and quorum, update contact information, and fix typos. The committee will continue refining the proposals.

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) MOU (Agenda Item 8A)

• The ROV reported that an amended RCV MOU including Albany is awaiting final signatures after questions arose from existing jurisdictions. Negotiations are ongoing.
• Commissioner Wagner expressed concern that non-RCV cities receive county cost-sharing, but RCV city costs are fully borne by the cities. The ROV explained that all jurisdictions pay allocated costs based on registered voters; the county pays only for county and state contests.
• Motion: To refer the RCV MOU update to the Budgeting for Elections ad hoc committee, restricted to financial aspects. Passed (vote tally unclear from transcript, but motion carried).

General MOU for Election Services (Agenda Item 8B)

• Discussion about the lack of MOUs between the ROV and most jurisdictions (cities, school districts, special districts) for general election services. City clerks have requested an MOU since February 2025.
• Motion: To recommend that the ROV enter into MOU discussions with city clerks and report back to the commission every two months. Passed (7 yes, 1 no – Commissioner Seabrook dissenting).

Post-Election Assessment (Agenda Item 8C)

• Chair Dieter presented draft ideas for the assessment. Commissioners suggested adding kudos for social media outreach, rapid response to ballot box overflow, and improvements in ballot processing speed (processing through election day and on Wednesday after the election).
• Areas for improvement included clearer voter guide instructions, better labeling of “100% reporting” on the results website, and continued work on ballot box capacity.
• Motion: To authorize the president and vice president to draft the post-election assessment and bring it back for approval at the next meeting. Passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• RCV MOU Referral: Referred to Budgeting for Elections ad hoc committee (finance scope) – motion carried.
• General MOU Recommendation: Commission recommended the ROV begin MOU discussions with city clerks and provide bimonthly updates – passed 7-1.
• Post-Election Assessment: President and Vice President authorized to draft; to be presented at next meeting – passed unanimously.
• Youth Voting: ROV committed to providing a cost estimate to Albany Unified by end of week; the commission will follow up on progress.
• Rules and Procedures: Committee will continue refining proposed rule additions based on commissioner feedback.

Meeting adjourned at 6:41 p.m.