The Department of Elections Will Provide Emergency Voting Services Through Election Day, March 5

Department of Elections
City and County of San Francisco
John Arntz, Director

For Immediate Release

SAN FRANCISCO, Tuesday, February 27, 2024 – For the March 5 election, the Department of Elections can provide ballot delivery and pick-up services to any local voter unable to travel from their home or health care facility to an in-person voting site, and who is also unable to mark and return the ballot sent to them via mail.

“All voters have the right to receive and cast their ballot for the March 5 Election. Our staff can provide emergency ballot delivery and pickup service to any local voter who is unable to vote at an in-person voting site or to use a regular mail ballot,” said Director John Arntz. “Our staff are also working with personnel at local hospitals to not only deliver and pick up ballots, but to provide accessible, multilingual personal services to patient voters.”

Any San Francisco voter may have another person help them mark a ballot, provided: 1) the assistant is not the voter’s employer or union representative, 2) the assistant does not try to influence the voter or make decisions on their behalf, and 3) the assistant does not reveal the voter’s choices to others. In addition, any voter unable to sign their ballot return envelope may instead use a registered signature stamp or witnessed mark.

Any local voter unable to vote in person or return their mail ballot can still vote in any of the following ways:

• Use the Ballot Pick-up Authorization Form (available at sfelections.org/forms) to give another person permission to pick up a ballot at the City Hall Voting Center. Then, after marking, authorize another person to return the ballot envelope by completing the authorization section of the envelope.
• Access a ballot via the Accessible Vote-by-Mail system at sfelections.org/access. The AVBM system allows any local voter to mark and print an accessible ballot in their preferred language and using their preferred method of navigation. The ballot printout must be returned by mail or hand-delivery.
• Call (415) 554-4375 or email ballotdelivery@sfgov.org to request Department of Elections staff hand deliver and/or collect a ballot. Upon request, multilingual Elections staff can help any local voter with a disability mark their ballot. (Elections staff have been trained to properly protect voter rights.)

To ensure hospitalized voters or voters in care facilities are aware of their options in this election, last month, Elections staff delivered informational packets to many local hospitals, nursing homes, convalescent homes, and other care facilities. Each packet included a letter describing accessible and emergency voting options, including the AVBM system, third-party ballot pickup and return, and emergency services for those unable to vote by mail or travel.

For more information about this topic or about elections in general, please contact the Department at (415) 554-4375, write to sfvote@sfgov.org, or visit the Department’s office in City Hall, Room 48.

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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
TTY: (415) 554-4386
sfelections.org