Alameda County Sets Vote Schedule as Emeryville Weighs Measure BB

OAKLAND, BERKELEY & EMERYVILLE, Calif. — East Bay voters and neighborhood businesses marked a pivotal Tuesday, November 3, as the Alameda County Registrar of Voters released its multi-week ballot tabulation calendar through November 16, Emeryville residents weighed a $5.9 million business tax overhaul alongside City Council and School Board contests, and Oakland breakfast pop-up Egg Pals prepared to debut its permanent restaurant, Egg Palace, at 4101 Broadway.

Alameda County Registrar Sets Ballot Counting Schedule Through November 16 and December 3

As reported by The Berkeley Scanner, Alameda County election officials scheduled the first unofficial release of vote-by-mail ballots shortly after polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3, followed by a second update after 9 p.m. incorporating initial returns from in-person vote centers and a final election night update once all vote centers report.

Because late-arriving mail ballots and provisional ballots are processed after Election Day, the Alameda County registrar scheduled 5 (five) post-election reports and results updates:

• Thursday, November 5: Unprocessed ballot report
• Friday, November 6: First post-election results update
• Monday, November 9: Second post-election results update
• Friday, November 13: Third post-election results update
• Monday, November 16: Fourth post-election results update

Alameda County has until December 3 to finalize its certified tally ahead of California’s statewide election certification on December 11.

Emeryville Voters Decide $5.9 Million Measure BB Business Tax, City Council, and School Board Races

According to The E'ville Eye, Emeryville voters cast ballots Tuesday across 3 major local items, with initial returns expected at 9 p.m.:

• Measure BB ($5.9 Million Business License Tax Overhaul): Restructures the city’s business license tax framework to generate an estimated $5.9 million in additional annual revenue to address Emeryville’s projected budget deficit and fund municipal operations.
• Emeryville City Council (2 Seats): 4 (four) candidates—incumbents David Mourra and Kalimah Priforce, alongside challengers Corry Frydlewicz and Brandon Soublet—are competing for 2 open 4-year terms on the 5-member council, joining sitting councilmembers Courtney Welch, Matthew Solomon, and Sukhdeep Kaur.
• Emery Unified School District Board of Trustees (3 Seats): 5 (five) candidates—incumbent Regina Chagolla, former trustee Kimberly Solis, and challengers Brian Donahue, Christopher Keith Allen, and David Ridlehuber—competed for 3 open 4-year terms, joining trustees Elsie Lee and John Van Geffen (whose terms expire in 2028).

Oakland Pop-Up Egg Pals to Open Brick-and-Mortar Egg Palace at 4101 Broadway

In Oakland hospitality news reported by East Bay Express, co-owners Brack DeFries (a veteran of KronnerBurger and Fish & Bird Izakaya) and Chris Morgan (formerly of Starline Social Club) are converting the former TrueBurger space at 4101 Broadway into Egg Palace, scheduled to open in mid-November or early December.

Inspired by a New York breakfast cafe and Tartine’s square-omelet brioche sandwich, DeFries and Morgan held their first Egg Pals pop-up at Ramen Shop in 2022, selling out 60 sandwiches. Over the past 4 (four) years—including every weekend for the past 2.5 (two and a half) years—the pop-up has grown to sell between 200 and 250 sandwiches per outing on Starter Baker brioche buns, led by the $13 Egg Pal (2 fried eggs, bacon, American cheese, pickled red onion, and herby mayo), the $12 seasonal Vegg Pal (spinach and charred ramps), the $12 Pickle Pal, and an occasional Huli Huli Spam Pal. Egg Palace will expand into evening service with burgers, a fried-chicken sandwich, salads, bar snacks, a full bar, and weekend brunch specials in the new year.