SAN FRANCISCO -- Supervisor hopefuls were anxiously awaiting the results of ranked-choice voting, especially in District 4 where a tight race could go to any one of four candidates.
According to Department of Elections Director John Arntz, vote counters are spending the rest of the day tallying absentee ballots and moving through the complicated process of elimination with the ranked-choice system.
"This is a pretty good snapshot of what's going to happen," Arntz said of this afternoon's expected unofficial results. But Arntz added that workers still have to sift through around 9,000 provisional ballots.
While the ranked-choice system will affect the District 6 race as well -- incumbent Supervisor Chris Daly just missed the simple majority needed to avoid the runoff -- most have their eyes on the District 4 runoff.
Ron Dudum, who leads the race with 4,061 votes, declined to make a comment today before the results were in. He did, however, say he would be awaiting the results at City Hall.
Ed Jew, who received the second most votes in the district with 3,785, has spent the uncertain week tearing down his posted signs and trying to get his flower shop in order.
"It's all about knocking on doors," Jew said of his success in the Sunset district race. "If I get the job, I'll thank the voters for giving it to me. I'll continue to serve the people."
Jew also is expected to show up at City Hall around 3 p.m. to await the results. Calls to Jaynry Mak, who is a close third with 3,298 votes, and Doug Chan, fourth with 2,414 votes, were not returned this morning.
Arntz said the results should be available no later than 4 p.m., but he added that his team would try to finish sooner. Official results are due by Dec. 2.
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.