TO: CVF-NEWS
FROM: Kim Alexander
DATE: March 31, 1999
RE: A Green in the California Assembly?

Hi Folks,

Yesterday a special run-off election was held in Alameda County to fill a vacant State Assembly seat.

With most of the ballots now counted, it appears that the Green Party candidate in the race may be the victor. As the Secretary of State's bulletin below points out, there are still some absentee votes to be counted. If Audie Bock, the Green Party candidate is victorious over Elihu Harris (a veteran Democratic politician who's served in the Assembly and as Mayor of Oakland), it will mark the first electoral victory for a minor party candidate to the State Legislature in a long time, perhaps ever. (Do any CVF-NEWS subscribers recall the recent election of a minor-party candidate to the legislature?)

To monitor the final vote counting, visit the Alameda County Registrar of Voter's election result page:

http://www.co.alameda.ca.us/rov/v993/ROVE971001.HTML

______________________________________

FROM: Alfie Charles, Secretary of State's office
Subject: Green Party Candidate Leads in 16th Assembly Special Election

With all of the precinct ballots counted, Green Party candidate Audie Bock holds a 292 vote lead over former Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris (Dem) in the special election race to fill a vacancy in the 16th Assembly District. Late absentee ballots turned in to election officials at the polling places and provisional ballots still need to be counted. The remaining ballots are expected to be processed and counted by Alameda County election officials by Thursday, April 2, 1999.

The current vote totals are as follows:

Audie E. Bock (Grn) 14,357 (50.51%)

Elihu M. Harris (Dem) 14,065 (49.49%)

Until the remaining ballots are counted, 28,786 ballots have been cast out of 189,927 registered voters in the district for a turnout of 15.16% of registered voters.

For additional information, please contact the Secretary of State's press office at 916-653-6575.