OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- Voters in Oakland are heading to the polls Tuesday to decide who will be the city’s next mayor. Voters will also choose a new city councilmember and decide on a measure that would increase Oakland’s sales tax. Former Oakland City Councilmember Loren Taylor and former E ast Bay Congresswoman Barbara Lee are two of 10 candidates seeking to be elected to the city’s top seat. The special election was called after former Mayor Sheng Thao lost a recall election and the former Oakland City councilmember for District 2, Nikki Fortunato Bas, was elected to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors last November. Oakland residents are also deciding whether to raise sales taxes a half percent, from 10.25 percent to 10.75 percent. Measure A will reportedly generate between $20 million to $30 million every year for the next 10 years to be used for city and police services. Nine polling places across Oakland opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Ballots can also be dropped off at any of the city’s 18 drop boxes or at the Oakland Courthouse. Approximately 20 percent of mail-in ballots were reportedly returned ahead of the polls opening on Tuesday. Oakland uses a ranked choice voting system, meaning that whoever gets the majority of first place votes wins the position. Bay City News contributed to this report. ...read more read less