2020 Primary Election: Livermore, Alameda County Voter Guide

LIVERMORE, CA — With some 920,000 Alameda County voters registered ahead of the 2020 presidential primary Election Day on Tuesday, March 3, Livermore voters are poised to decide whether to raise the county sales tax, vote for a measure to build a new downtown hotel, and vote for candidates running in county, state and federal races.

If the last election cycle is any indication, much of the county will have already received their vote by mail ballots. Nearly eight in ten Alameda County voters cast absentee ballots in the 2018 primary election, county records show.

Still need to drop off your absentee ballot? A list of Tri-Valley ballot drop-off locations can be found here.

Voting the old-fashioned way, in person at a polling place? A list of Livermore precincts can be found here.

Still have questions about Election Day protocol? Call county elections staff at 510-272-6973.

Here's a look at what Livermore voters can expect to see on their ballots, from most to least local:

Measure P

A "yes" vote means plans for the Wine Country Hotel project at the Bankhead Project (corner of Railroad and South Livermore avenues) would proceed.

The hotel would include up to 135 rooms, up to 2,000 square feet of conference space, a bar and lounge, pool and courtyard, public rooftop deck and fitness center. Plans also include a public street along the sides of the hotel, loading and drop-off spaces, disabled parking and more, according to an analysis of Measure P performed by City Attorney Jason R. Alcaca.

Read more about Measure P here.

Measure C

Measure C would increase the Alameda County sales tax by a half-cent for 20 years and raise an estimated $150 million per year. Eighty percent of the money collected would go toward child care, preschool, and early education. The remaining 20 percent would go to pediatric health care.

Read more about the measure here.

Alameda County Supervisor, District 1

Fremont City Councilmember Vinnie Baker, Dublin Mayor David Haubert, Dublin City Councilmember Melissa Hernandez, and District 10 State Senator Bob Wieckowski are the four candidates vying to represent the district that includes Dublin, Livermore, most of Fremont, most of unincorporated Livermore-Amador Valley and part of Sunol.

Current District 1 Supervisor Scott Haggerty announced earlier this year he will not seek re-election when his current term expires in January 2021. The long-time supervisor has held the post since November 1996 and is serving his sixth (and final) four-year term.

Zone 7 Water Agency

Five candidates are vying to serve Alameda County on the Zone 7 Board of Directors.

Incumbents Angela Remirez Holmes and Dick Quigley are in the running, as are challengers Hugh Bussell (technical writer), Laurene Green (water resources engineer) and Sandy Figuers (groundwater geologist).

California State Assembly, District 16

Incumbent and Democrat Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Republican Joseph A. Rubay are vying to represent the district that represents Tri-Valley and reaches as far as Moraga/Walnut Creek.

California State Senate, District 7

Three candidates are running to represent the district that includes Tri-Valley, Lamorinda, Concord, and stretches to Antioch and surrounding communities.
Incumbent and Democrat Steve Glazer is facing off against fellow Democrat and health care provider Marisol Rubio. Republican challenger and mother Julie Mobley is also in the running.

Read candidate statements from Glazer and Rubio here. Mobley did not file a candidate statement.

Proposition 13

This $15 billion state bond issue seeks to raise money for infrastructural projects at schools, community colleges and universities, and limit districts' abilities to impose developer fees.

Bond costs are estimated at a total of $740 million per year for the next 35 years, for a total of $25.6 billion.

Read the text of Prop 13 here. Read a summary from the Legislative Analyst's Office here.

U.S. Representative, District 15

Seven candidates are vying to represent the district that covers much of Alameda County and all of San Ramon.

Incumbent and Democrat Eric Swalwell is running against Democrat challengers Samantha Campbell (student and teacher), Austin E. Intal and Tuan Phan (biochemist).

Republicans Alison Hayden (special education teacher) and Peter Yuan Liu will face off against each other.

Nonpartisan candidate Don J. Grundmann (chiropractor) is also in the running.

Stay tuned to Patch as Election Day votes are counted in Alameda County and throughout California.

Patch Editor Bea Karnes contributed to this report.