Department of Elections
City and County of San Francisco
John Arntz, Director
For Immediate Release
SAN FRANCISCO, Friday, October 4, 2024 – On Monday, October 7, the Department of Elections will begin processing vote-by-mail ballots returned by voters for the November 5 election. Ballot processing includes sorting and scanning returned ballots, verifying signatures, extracting ballot cards from envelopes, and remaking ballots when necessary. All steps will be conducted in a transparent manner, with live streaming available according to the schedule below, continuing daily as needed until the election is certified.
Live Streaming Schedule:
- Ballot Envelope Sorting and Scanning for Signature Verification: Available beginning October 7, 2024
- Ballot Remake: Available beginning October 7, 2024
- Ballot Extraction: Available beginning October 8, 2024
- Ballot Scanning: Available beginning October 10, 2024
- Ballot Adjudication: Available beginning October 26, 2024
“Our personnel process all returned vote-by-mail ballots methodically,” said Director John Arntz. “We maintain a formal chain of custody throughout the entire process, which ensures that no single individual handles a ballot independently. Each staff member involved in ballot processing undergoes thorough training and must review and sign an acknowledgment of our security rules. Furthermore, all ballot processing takes place in secure areas that are monitored, and we make these areas accessible to observers to ensure transparency.”
San Francisco’s vote-by-mail ballot processing begins with capturing an image of the signature on each ballot envelope for comparison with the signature in a voter’s registration record. If the signatures compare, the Department can open the envelope and remove the ballot cards for scanning. Department personnel adhere to strict protocols to safeguard the integrity of the election, ensuring the principle of one person, one vote, while upholding the voter’s right to a secret ballot.
The Department intends to verify the signature on every vote-by-mail ballot envelope within one day of receipt—whether from the USPS or an official ballot drop box. This processing schedule enables the Department to provide regular updates on ballot status through the Voter Portal at sfelections.gov/voterportal, allowing San Francisco voters to easily track their ballots and confirm when they have been accepted for counting.
Members of the public are invited to observe the ballot processing in person at the Department’s office in City Hall, Room 48, or via live stream at sfelections.gov/observe.
For more information about the November 5 election, please contact the Department of Elections at (415) 554-4375, email sfvote@sfgov.org, or visit the Department’s office.
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Department of Elections
City and County of San Francisco
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
City Hall, Room 48
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-4375
sfelections.gov