Oakland voters will head to the polls Tuesday to select a new mayor, new councilmember and weigh in on a measure that would increase the local sales tax. Polls in the special election will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the city will be using ranked-choice voting. Here’s what to know abou t what’s at stake. Why is Oakland voting for a new mayor? People in the city will vote for Oakland’s new mayor after voters recalled Sheng Thao in November. Out of 10 candidates on the ballot, the two front-runners are former Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor and former Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Both Taylor and Lee were out campaigning on Saturday. Taylor said he spent the day knocking on doors across the city. He’s telling voters that he hears their concerns. “Residents feel as though they have been left to fend for themselves,” Taylor said. “And I’m here to say, ‘no, we deserve a government that actually works for us.” Lee said she attended events around Oakland on Saturday with voters and supporters. She is asking voters to look to her record in politics. “It’s an indicator of the fact that I want core services and constituent services to serve the people of Oakland,” Lee said. “It’s an indicator that I want Oakland to be a clean, livable, green city. “ Why is Oakland voting for a new city council member? District 2 residents will vote for a new council member after Nikki Fortunato Bas was elected to serve as an Alameda County supervisor. There are a total of six candidates running for the open city council seat. District 2 includes Chinatown, Little Saigon, Jack London Square and Rancho San Antonio. What is Measure A in Oakland? Voters will sound off on Measure A, which would increase the local sales tax by a half-cent. Where are Oakland’s polling places? There are several polling places in Oakland. Find a full list at Alameda County’s election website. Oakland Apr 13 Oakland pushes to get out the vote ahead of city's special election Oakland Mar 17 Early voting kicks off in Oakland for new mayor, District 2 city council and Measure A ...read more read less