Voting by Mail

Any voter may request a vote-by-mail ballot, for this election only or for all elections. The Department of Elections begins mailing ballots approximately one month before each election.

Before You Vote

1.    Submit your request to vote by mail as early as possible; it must be received by the Department of Elections by October 29, seven days before Election Day.

2.    Check or update your ballot language preference at sfelections.org/language:

•    Ballots and other materials are available in English and Chinese, Spanish, or Filipino.

•    Facsimile ballots are available in Vietnamese and Korean; these are exact copies of the official ballot with translated content, for voters to use as a reference.

•    Indicating your preference in advance may help you get a ballot in your preferred language sooner. Otherwise, your ballot will include instructions to exchange it for a ballot with your preferred language.

3.    If you have a disability, consider whether to use a paper ballot or another accessible option (see here).

4.    Learn more about San Francisco’s new voting system at sfelections.org. Practice marking a demonstration ballot at sfelections.org/rcv.

How to Request to Vote by Mail

•    Fill out and return the application on the back cover of the printed version of this pamphlet.

•    Go to sfelections.org/vbm.

•    Call (415) 554-4375, or visit the Department of Elections in City Hall, Room 48.

•    Mail, fax, or email a scanned request to the Department of Elections with your name, birth date, home address, the address where you want your ballot to be mailed, and your signature.

To vote by mail for all elections, request to become a permanent vote-by-mail voter; your signature is required.

If You Make a Mistake on Your Ballot

To request a replacement ballot, go to sfelections.org/myballot or call (415) 554-4375.

How to Return Your Ballot

1.    Fold your ballot cards one by one and place them in the return envelope.

2.    Sign and seal the envelope.

3.    Return the ballot on time.

There are three ways to return your ballot:

•    Mail it to the Department of Elections; the return envelope must be:

o  Postmarked before or on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, AND

o  Received by the Department of Elections no later than Friday, November 8.

•    Drop it off at a Drop-off Station outside either Voting Center, open November 2–5 during voting hours (see below).

•    Drop it off at any California polling place on Election Day.

How to Track Your Ballot

Check the status of your ballot—from mailing through counting—at sfelections.org/myballot or call (866) 325-9163 toll free. If your ballot cannot be counted, this tool will tell you how to correct the issue before Election Day so that we can count your ballot.

Starting October 22, you can watch the opening and processing of vote-by-mail ballots at the Department of Elections at sfelections.org/observe.