Measure AA had 76.4% yes (20,035 votes) in KQED's 12:59 a.m. update. ABC7's later count showed 76% yes with 20,563 votes and about 94% of the expected vote in.
Berkeley passed the nation's first soda tax in 2014: a 1-cent-per-ounce charge on distributors of sugar-sweetened drinks. AA doubles it to 2 cents and earmarks the money, with 42.5% going to cooking and gardening programs in Berkeley schools and another 42.5% to community programs. Supporters say the tax has raised $12 million over 10 years and cut sugary drink consumption. The American Beverage Association opposed it.
Other Berkeley measures
- Measure Z (public bank): No 58%, Yes 42%
- Measure X (rent ordinance): Yes 68%
- Measure W (charter amendment): Yes 67%
Those figures are from ABC7's 2:08 a.m. update.
All results are unofficial election-night and early-morning counts as of Wednesday, Nov. 4. Counties keep counting mail and provisional ballots for days, and certification comes later, so margins can shift, especially in close contests.