Letter from the Director
Dear San Francisco Voter, September 6, 2019
New Voting System
Beginning with the November 5, 2019, Consolidated Municipal Election, San Francisco voters will use a new voting system. While everyone will continue using paper ballots, voters will now fill in ovals next to candidates’ names and the local measures when marking their ballots. Also, a new grid-like format for ranked-choice voting (RCV) contests will increase the number of candidates that voters can rank. Before marking official ballots, voters can use an interactive RCV practice ballot that we created and placed on our website: sfelections.org/rcv.
Voters will not experience many differences when using the new system compared to using the previous voting system. The Department will continue mailing ballots to voters before each election. At the polling place, voters will use similar equipment as in previous elections to scan their voted ballots. Each polling place and Voting Center will offer accessible ballot-marking devices that feature audio and touchscreen interfaces, and which are compatible with assistive technology, such as keypads, sip-and-puff devices, and head-pointers.
Regarding election security, the new voting system meets strict security standards and was reviewed and is certified for use by the California Secretary of State. No part of the system connects to the internet or receives or transmits data through any type of external communication network, and votes become encrypted as soon as the voted ballots are processed and scanned. Additionally, the Department tests all voting equipment before and during the election cycle to verify that the machines are functioning appropriately and accurately recording votes. All testing is open to public observation. To obtain more information and view short videos on the new system, visit sfelections.org.
Posting Images of Voted Ballots on Department’s Website
The new voting system is “image-based” which means it takes a picture of every voted ballot. The system also adds a statement on how each vote was counted. The Department will post these images and statements on its website for everyone to view and will make the images publicly available for download and on memory devices. The Department will also post transaction logs of all equipment used for the election.
Two Voting Centers: City Hall and San Francisco State University (SFSU)
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 and will also operate a second Voting Center at SFSU. The SFSU Voting Center is located in the Towers Conference Center on 798 State Drive.
City Hall Voting Center Hours
Monday–Friday, October 7–November 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on October 14 holiday).
Saturday–Sunday, October 26–27 and November 2–3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
San Francisco State University Voting Center Hours
Saturday–Sunday, November 2–3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday, November 4, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Vote-by-Mail Ballot Drop-off Stations
Starting on November 2 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 both Voting Centers and available during the same hours the Voting Centers are open, as listed above.
Planning for March 2020 Presidential Primary
The Department will soon send notices to voters regarding the March 2020 Presidential Primary Election. The reason for these notices is to provide information on how voters’ political party preferences determine which ballots they receive. Voters who did not select a party preference when registering to vote will need to take action if they want to vote for presidential candidates associated with a particular political party. The notices the Department sends will explain how voters can obtain ballots that include the presidential candidates associated with particular political parties. For more information on the March 2020 Primary, visit sfelections.org/2020primary.
Respectfully,
John Arntz, Director