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Low voter turnout for Oakland mayoral election

This is the lowest turnout in recent years. For the 2022 mayoral election of Sheng Thao, 52 percent of voters cast a ballot. In the 2018 mayoral election, 69 percent of Oaklanders voted.

North Oakland and the Oakland Hills had the highest turnout - neighborhoods that are generally whiter and middle to upper class.

Fruitvale and Deep East Oakland had the lowest turnout, showing historic barriers for the mostly Black and Latino neighborhoods.

Few campaign events or community education efforts happened in Fruitvale or East Oakland.

The Oaklandside reported that materials in Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Mam were limited. Both candidates websites were in English.

Lee spoke to her supporters today about unifying the politically divided city.

Yosmay is an Oakland raised Trans and Latinx storyteller and librarian. They are a graduate of Mills MFA and worked as a field producer for Storycorps and an archive editor for Disability Visibility Project. Listening, talking story, and culture keeping through narrative is a powerful act of connection and reclamation that Yosmay is particularly drawn to.