What is Ranked Choice Voting?
San Francisco uses ranked choice voting to decide elections, and that’s a good thing—mostly. In a ranked choice election, your vote always counts for your top pick first. But if your preferred candidate doesn't have enough support to win, your vote transfers to your second choice. But ranked choice voting can also lead to some unexpected outcomes on election night, so it’s important to understand exactly how the process works and vote strategically.
City Hall Digest: Peskin Dusts Off Familiar Playbook to Confuse Voters
It can be hard to stay on top of everything that happens in San Francisco politics—City Hall Digest navigates all the latest developments to make sure you’re in-the-know. This week’s City Hall Digest digs into the ways Supervisor Aaron Peskin broke our oversight system, why he can’t be trusted to fix it, and why Aaron Peskin’s commission reform measures are a cynical ploy to halt real reform in San Francisco.
Why Does Everything Take So Long in San Francisco?
San Francisco oversight commissions are supposed to keep San Francisco politicians and government accountable. But these government oversight bodies create chaos in San Francisco City Hall, and let elected officials escape the accountability commissions are supposed to provide.
Together SF Action's commission reform in the November 2024 San Francisco election will restore accountability for elected officials, and streamline San Francisco’s system for government oversight.
City Hall Digest: Money Problems Plague Schools and Nonprofits
It can be hard to stay on top of everything that happens in San Francisco politics—City Hall Digest navigates all the latest developments to make sure you’re in-the-know. This week’s City Hall Digest digs into the money troubles plaguing San Francisco’s schools and the homeless shelter operator the Providence Foundation.
Neighborhood Groups Create Giant Headaches for Small Businesses
It can be hard to stay on top of everything that happens in San Francisco politics—City Hall Digest navigates all the latest developments to make sure you’re in-the-know.
Why does San Francisco seem so determined to make opening a small business as difficult as possible? The city seems to be actively undermining new businesses—that’s a problem when nearly one-third of commercial spaces are vacant in San Francisco.
This week’s City Hall Digest breaks down entrepreneur Naz Khorram’s recent article about their experience trying to open a restaurant in San Francisco. Plus, a new state bill aims to direct more funding towards sober supportive housing (potentially a massive win), and after years of increases, crime in San Francisco is starting to drop.
No One Knows if California’s Spending on Homelessness is Working
It can be hard to stay on top of everything that happens in San Francisco politics—City Hall Digest navigates all the latest developments to make sure you’re in-the-know.
California spent $24 billion on homelessness over the past five years, and homelessness actually increased during that time. So where did the money go? Good question. No one’s really sure, because state agencies failed to properly track spending during that time, too.
This week’s City Hall Digest digs into why California’s failure to track spending is such a damning indictment of the state’s ability to solve homelessness. Plus, California Highway Patrol’s coordination with local authorities to disrupt drug trafficking is paying off, and why San Francisco needs to do more to keep library workers safe.