This month, we completed our latest voter outreach effort to gauge where Oakland voters stand on the A’s preferred relocation site near Laney College and Chinatown. With displacement running rampant and projects proposed by powerful developers being rubber stamped for approval, we and our collaborative partner the Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) informed voters about the potential impacts that the stadium development would have on these neighborhoods which currently are home to immigrant, working-class, and residents of color.

Over 82% of the 2,227 Oakland voters in all council districts with whom we spoke prefer for the A’s to stay at their current site in East Oakland. Speaking with mostly working-class, people of color, our seasoned civic engagement team of fourteen brought in the voices of those who have historically been marginalized and left out of the political process. Many of these voters understand firsthand the importance of responsible development that prioritizes investing in our communities while stopping displacement.

For more on our poll, watch Jessamyn’s interview on KTVU and read today’s coverage in the East Bay Times.

Poll results at a glance:

4 in 5 Oaklanders want the A’s to stay at the Coliseum and invest in East Oakland.
84% of African American voters, 80% of Asian voters, and 87% of Latino voters support the A’s staying at the Coliseum rather than constructing a new stadium and ballpark village at Laney.
Young people overwhelmingly support the A’s remaining at the Coliseum. 93% of people age 18-24 and 85% of people age 25-34 support this position.
Middle class and working-class people responded the A’s should stay at the Coliseum and invest in East Oakland – 86% of people making <$50,000 annually, and 81% of people making $50,000 – $100,000 annually support this position.

Our poll includes more than four times the number of people than the Chamber of Commerce-commissioned poll. We gauged the opinions of regular people living in our city and in the neighborhoods close to the proposed sites. Unlike the Chamber, we included registered voters with a diversity of voting histories, not just ‘likely-voters’, a methodology that has historically silenced the voices of working-class people of color who may not vote in every single election.

Our poll is a true reflection of the voice of Oakland communities. Our Chinatown and Eastside neighborhoods are already feeling the heavy weight of gentrification as skyrocketing rents are forcing many residents and businesses to leave Oakland. While we are proud that the A’s are Rooted in Oakland, we expect them to be a responsible community partner and to do their part to avoid exacerbating the displacement of our communities and destruction of historic cultural neighborhoods.

Stay tuned as as we take our results to Oakland’s decision-makers including the Peralta College Board of Trustees and City Councilmembers so that they know what the community would like to see.