Letter from the Director
Dear San Francisco Voter, January 2, 2020
Voters have several options to receive ballots that list particular candidates for President in the upcoming March 3, 2020, Consolidated Presidential Primary Election. To learn more about voting in the primary election, visit sfelections.org/2020primary.
The Department’s website, sfelections.org, also features the “March 2020 Presidential Primary Ballot Tool” on the homepage. The tool provides voters with a quick way to check the party preference associated with their voter registration records. The tool also provides voters with options to obtain ballots listing presidential candidates associated with specific political parties.
Political Party Preference Determines Which Candidates Appear on Ballots
Voters must declare a preference for a political party to receive a ballot with candidates for President. Voters who noted a political party preference in their voter registration record will receive a ballot that includes that party’s presidential candidates.
Voters without declared preferences for political parties will receive ballots without candidates for President. However, a voter without a declared political party preference can still receive a ballot that lists a political party’s candidates by requesting a “crossover” ballot or by re-registering to vote.
Voters can re-register to change their party preference at registertovote.ca.gov until February 18. After that, voters can re-register at voting centers or polling places.
Crossover Voting and Re-registering to Vote, for Voters without Political Party Preferences
Three political parties, American Independent, Democratic, and Libertarian, allow voters who did not declare a political party when registering to vote to receive ballots listing those parties’ presidential candidates. Voters can request these crossover ballots at their polling places, at one of three voting centers, or in the mail. However, the deadline is February 25 to request a vote-by-mail ballot.
To vote for presidential candidates associated with the Green, Peace and Freedom, or Republican parties, voters must re-register to vote and select one of these parties on the registration form.
Obtaining Replacement Vote-by-Mail Ballots
Voters without declared political party preferences will receive ballots that do not include candidates for President. To obtain a replacement ballot by mail, voters can contact the Department until February 25. After this date, voters without declared political party preferences who want to vote for presidential candidates must go to their polling places or a voting center to request a crossover ballot or re-register to vote.
Three Voting Centers: City Hall, San Francisco State University (SFSU), and Joseph Lee Recreation Center
San Francisco residents can visit a voting center to vote, register to vote, update their registration information, or drop off their vote-by-mail ballots. For this election, the Department will continue providing election services at the City Hall Voting Center, as well as at SFSU and the Joseph Lee Recreation Center. The SFSU Voting Center is located in the Towers Conference Center on 798 State Drive. The Joseph Lee Recreation Center is located at 1395 Mendell Street.
Voting Center Hours at City Hall
Monday–Friday, February 3–March 2, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday, February 22–23 and February 29–March 1, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Election Day, Tuesday, March 3, 7 a.m.–8 p.m.
Voting Center Hours at San Francisco State University and Joseph Lee Recreation Center
Saturday–Sunday, February 29–March 1, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Monday, March 2, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Election Day, Tuesday, March 3, 7 a.m.–8 p.m.
Vote-by-Mail Ballot Drop-off Stations
Starting on February 29, and through Election Day, voters can use the Ballot Drop-Off stations to return their vote-by-mail ballots. The stations will be located outside the three voting centers and available during the same hours the voting centers are open, as listed above.
Respectfully,
John Arntz, Director