Alameda County’s Top Election Official Will Step Down After More Than 10 Years

Alameda County’s top election official announced he will step down next year after two critical reviews of his department’s work and major election errors in recent years.

Tim Dupuis, who has served as both Alameda County’s Registrar of Voters and chief information technology officer since 2012, confirmed that he plans to retire next March, which the Oaklandside first reported late Wednesday. Dupuis said he was stepping away to focus on his health and family.

“Serving the residents of Alameda County in this dual capacity has been an honor and a privilege, and I am deeply grateful for the trust and support the Board has placed in me throughout my tenure,” Dupuis said via email. He told KQED that he was committed to working with the county administrator to leave the organization prepared for the 2026 election season.

The decision, which Dupuis shared with county officials at the beginning of the month, comes after years of growing strife over missteps during recent election cycles.

In 2020, the office failed to post non-English language sample ballots at polling locations and delayed the setup of nearly half of its vote-by-mail drop boxes, which were relied upon heavily during that year’s presidential election at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the office used an incorrect method to tally votes that resulted in inaccurate results of a school board election.

Voting rights advocates have since called for the county to separate Dupuis’ two roles, saying that the workload isn’t tenable and that the office has failed to ensure fair and equitable voting access in recent years. Only one other California county combines the two jobs.

“This dual role raises real questions about independence and responsiveness,” California Common Cause and the state’s League of Women Voters chapter wrote in a joint letter to Dupuis and the Elections Commission on Wednesday. “The track record bears this out: late voter guides, language access failures, and slow implementation of accessibility committees. These are systemic, not isolated.”

Aside from San Francisco, Alameda County is also the only California district that runs complicated ranked choice voting across multiple cities. Last year, the county became the first to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in some elections.

Since Dupuis became the registrar, the county has held 25 special elections — and averaged three elections a year, according to the County Elections Commission’s analysis.

“Expecting one individual to perform two obviously extremely demanding roles, in this large and complex county, at a time when there is a perpetual demand for local or state election administration, is not producing an acceptable level of public service to Alameda County voters and taxpayers,” the report said.

Last week, Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors formally requested a review of the registrar’s office by the third-party organization Election Center.

A second report from the county’s Grand Jury earlier this year also found that while the 2024 election, “an enormous enterprise,” ran relatively smoothly, jury members struggled to observe vote tabulation due to technological glitches and a lack of information about the counting process.

The report also said posting of election results was “delayed, incomplete, and at least with respect to the calling of precincts, misleading.” Many residents and even former Supervisor Keith Carson expressed dismay over the county’s sluggish pace tallying results.

Supervisor Lena Tam, who requested the Election Center’s review of the registrar’s office, said she hoped it would help the office improve its transparency and accountability, and inform supervisors’ strategy for recruiting a new person, or two, to fill Dupuis’ roles.

Supervisor Nate Miley said at last week’s meeting that he expected the review to confirm a need to decouple the positions.

“I want to thank Mr. Dupuis for his service in navigating the [Registrar of Voters] and [Information Technology Department] through some tumultuous times with varying ranked choice voting methodologies among four cities, youth voting, two recall elections and keeping the county safe from hackers,” Tam said. “I wish him the best as he focuses on his health and in his future endeavors.”

Dupuis said via email that he plans to run the Nov. 4 special election, where California voters will decide on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed redistricting measure and assisted in the planning for June’s primary. He said his seven-month notice gives the board time to handle recruitment before the primary and general midterm elections next year.

“I am committed to working closely with the County Administrator and County leadership over the next several months to ensure a smooth and thoughtful transition,” he told KQED.