On December 16, the city attorney of Oakland, California, wrote this legal opinion which says that the city must use Instant Runoff Voting for its own city elections in 2010. The voters amended the charter in 2006 to use IRV, but only when elections officials had certified that the vote-counting equipment is ready. Because Secretary of State Debra Bowen fulfilled that last requirement last week, the opinion says the city council has no power to stop IRV, as long as the City Charter retains its existing language. Thanks to Blair Bobier for the link.