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Online EditionSan Francisco Voter Information Pamphlet & Sample BallotConsolidated General Election
November 3, 2020

Elections and accessibility

  • sfelections.org
  • Accessibility
  • English
  • 繁體中文
  • Filipino
  • Español
  • General Information
    • Quick Guide to the November 3, 2020, Election
      • Questions?
      • Letter from the Director
      • Purpose of the Voter Information Pamphlet and Voter Information Guide
      • The Ballot Simplification Committee
      • Voter Bill of Rights
      • Elections Commission
      • San Francisco Voters Have Three Ways to Vote
      • Voting by Mail
      • Voting at the Voting Center
      • Voting at a Polling Place
      • Where Will My Assigned Polling Place Be Located on November 3?
      • Find your Polling Place Location
      • Marking Your Ballot
      • Key Facts about the City’s Voting System
      • Keep Your Voter Registration Current!
      • Voter Registration Privacy Information
      • Safe at Home Program
      • San Francisco’s Supervisorial Districts
      • Accessible Voting and Services
      • Multilingual Voter Services
      • 我們可以協助您!
      • Asistencia en español para los electores
      • Tulong para sa botante sa wikang Filipino
      • ကျွန်ုပ်တို့ သင့်ကို ကူညီနိုင်ပါသည်။
      • お手伝いいたします。
      • 도와 드리겠습니다!
      • เราช่วยคุณได้!
      • Chúng tôi có thể trợ giúp quý vị!
      • An Overview of San Francisco’s Debt
      • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
      • Stop receiving your printed Voter Information Pamphlet
      • Your Sample Ballot
      • Ballot worksheet
      • XML Streams
      • Site Guide
      • Change Font Size
  • Candidate Information
    • Candidate Information
      • City and County of San Francisco Offices To Be Voted on this Election
      • Your Candidates' Statements
      All Candidate Statements
      所有候選人聲明
      Todas las declaraciones de las candidatos
      Lahat ng mga Pahayag ng mga Kandidato
    • Candidate for United States Representative, District 14
    • Candidates for State Senator, District 11
    • Candidate for State Assembly, District 17
    • Candidates for State Assembly, District 19
    • Candidates for Board of Supervisors, District 1
    • Candidates for Board of Supervisors, District 3
    • Candidates for Board of Supervisors, District 5
    • Candidates for Board of Supervisors, District 7
    • Candidates for Board of Supervisors, District 9
    • Candidates for Board of Supervisors, District 11
    • Candidates for BART Director, District 7
    • Candidates for BART Director, District 9
    • Candidates for Board of Education
    • Candidates for Community College Board
  • Local Ballot Measures
    • Local Ballot Measure and Argument Information
      • Words You Need to Know
      Local Ballot Measures
      • Proposition A: Health and Homelessness, Parks, and Streets Bond
      • Proposition B: Department of Sanitation and Streets, Sanitation and Streets Commission, and Public Works Commission
      • Proposition C: Removing Citizenship Requirements for Members of City Bodies
      • Proposition D: Sheriff Oversight
      • Proposition E: Police Staffing
      • Proposition F: Business Tax Overhaul
      • Proposition G: Youth Voting in Local Elections
      • Proposition H: Neighborhood Commercial Districts and City Permitting
      • Proposition I: Real Estate Transfer Tax
      • Proposition J: Parcel Tax for San Francisco Unified School District
      • Proposition K: Affordable Housing Authorization
      • Proposition L: Business Tax Based on Comparison of Top Executive's Pay to Employees' Pay
      • District Measure RR: Caltrain Sales Tax

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Accessible Voting and Services

The Department of Elections provides various accessible programs and services to help voters cast their vote privately and independently.

Accessible Election Materials

The Voter Information Pamphlet (VIP) is available in accessible formats: 

• On sfelections.org in PDF, HTML, XML, and MP3 formats.

• By request, in large print as well as audio USB flash drive, compact disc (CD), or National Library Service (NLS) cartridge.

To request an accessible format VIP, call the Department of Elections at (415) 554-4375 or visit the Talking Books and Braille Center, Main Library, 100 Larkin Street, (415) 557-4253.

Accessible Vote-By-Mail System

The Accessible Vote-by-Mail (AVBM) System, which is compatible with personal assistive technology such as head-pointers and sip-and-puff devices, allows any voter to mark a screen-readable ballot online. To access the AVBM System, visit sfelections.org/access. The AVBM system will be open from October 5, 2020 through 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3, 2020. 

For security reasons, the AVBM system does not store or transmit votes over the internet. After marking an AVBM ballot, a voter must print and return it in person or by mail. 

Ballot-Marking Devices 

All in-person voting locations have accessible ballot-marking devices. Because ballot-marking devices do not count votes, voters using them need to generate paper ballot printouts and scan the printouts using the same machine used to scan regular paper ballots. 

An accessible ballot-marking device allows any voter to navigate and mark their ballot using any combination of the following accessible features:

• Touchscreen, audio, and touchscreen/audio ballot format options.

• Braille-embossed handheld keypads with audio-tactile interfaces.

• Adjustable language, text size, audio speed, volume, and color options.

• Audio instructions in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish, and Filipino.

• Touchscreen privacy screens and headphones with removable covers.

• Compatibility with sip-and-puff, paddle, head-pointer; and other devices.

• Audio or visual review of vote selections in all contests.

Personal Assistance and Ballot Delivery Options 

Any voter may request that up to two people (other than the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or an officer or agent of the union of which the voter is a member), assist the voter in marking their ballot. The voter may also ask poll workers for such assistance. Anyone assisting a voter with marking their ballot should not interfere with the voting process or make choices on the voter’s behalf. 

Any voter may request to vote “curbside” at any in-person voting location by calling (415) 554-4375 or by asking a companion to enter the facility to request delivery of voting materials to the voter outside. 

Beginning October 28, any voter unable to travel because of illness, disability, or confinement, including any voter under COVID-19-related quarantine, may authorize another person, including a Department of Elections staff member, to pick up and deliver an emergency vote-by-mail ballot to them. To request emergency ballot delivery in the last week of the voting period, complete the form at sfelections.org/ballotservices or call (415) 554-4375. 

Other Accessible Voting Resources 

All in-person voting locations have accessible voting tools, including magnifiers and easy-grip pens for signing the roster and marking a ballot. All in-person voting locations also have wheelchair accessible entrances, as well as wheelchair accessible and seated voting booths, all designated by the international symbol of access.

  • Quick Guide to the November 3, 2020, Election
    • Questions?
    • Letter from the Director
    • Purpose of the Voter Information Pamphlet and Voter Information Guide
    • The Ballot Simplification Committee
    • Voter Bill of Rights
    • Elections Commission
    • San Francisco Voters Have Three Ways to Vote
    • Voting by Mail
    • Voting at the Voting Center
    • Voting at a Polling Place
    • Where Will My Assigned Polling Place Be Located on November 3?
    • Find your Polling Place Location
    • Marking Your Ballot
    • Key Facts about the City’s Voting System
    • Keep Your Voter Registration Current!
    • Voter Registration Privacy Information
    • Safe at Home Program
    • San Francisco’s Supervisorial Districts
    • Accessible Voting and Services
    • Multilingual Voter Services
    • 我們可以協助您!
    • Asistencia en español para los electores
    • Tulong para sa botante sa wikang Filipino
    • ကျွန်ုပ်တို့ သင့်ကို ကူညီနိုင်ပါသည်။
    • お手伝いいたします。
    • 도와 드리겠습니다!
    • เราช่วยคุณได้!
    • Chúng tôi có thể trợ giúp quý vị!
    • An Overview of San Francisco’s Debt
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
    • Stop receiving your printed Voter Information Pamphlet
    • Your Sample Ballot
    • Ballot worksheet
    • XML Streams
    • Site Guide
    • Change Font Size

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