Last Votes Counted, Measure A Still Winning

Alameda County elections officials posted their final count of votes on Alameda's Measure A schools parcel tax election Thursday afternoon, confirming passage with 68 percent of the vote. Measure A needed a two-thirds majority to win.

Supporters of the schools tax have spent the past two days celebrating on the assumption that results from the last several hundred provisional ballots would not change the outcome. Measure A crossed the threshold of yes votes around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and while various vote counts since then have gone up and down slightly, the total has remained above the two-thirds mark.

With all votes counted, elections officials reported that just shy of 52 percent of Alameda registered voters weighed in on Measure A (21,630 votes).

Measure A imposes a 32 cents-per-square-foot tax on each parcel in Alameda. It raises about $12 million each of its seven years, starting in mid-2011. It replaces two schools taxes that will sunset in 2012.

Alameda Unified School District officials say the funding was crucial to make up for state education budget cuts, and that it would stave off school closures, teacher layoffs, class size increases and cuts to traditional elements of elementary education such as music and PE.

Opponents argued the tax was unfairly designed because it sets a maximum parcel tax amount ($7,999), which they said benefited larger businesses. They also questioned the district's spending priorities.

The Alameda school board meets tonight in a special meeting to consider layoffs and furloughs for the 2011 school year. School officials have said that even with the parcel tax, they would still have to make significant budget cuts.

The election results become official sometime next week when they are certified with the California Secretary of State.

The chart below reflects the cumulative total for votes at the most recent time noted.