Vote by mail

Receiving your ballot

Your vote-by-mail ballot packet will include: 

• Ballot cards
• A postage-paid return envelope
• Voting instructions
• An “I Voted” sticker

To ensure we send the correct ballot to the correct address, log into the Voter Status Tool to confirm both your home and mailing addresses are correct.

You must be a registered voter at least 15 days before Election Day to receive a ballot packet in the mail. If you miss the deadline, you can still vote in person.

Make sure we can count your ballot

You must sign the ballot return envelope and return your ballot by Election Day, by mail or in person.

View ways to return your ballot 

We encourage you to track your ballot via the Voter Portal. You can also sign up for email, text, or voice call notifications. 

You can request a replacement ballot

If you do not receive, lose, damage, or mismark your original ballot, you can request a replacement. Contact us or log into the Voter Portal at least 7 days before Election Day to make your request. You can also choose to vote in person. 

If, after we mail your ballot, you update your address or your party or language preference, we will mail you a replacement.

You can download an accessible ballot

Any voter can get a ballot using the accessible vote-by-mail system. You can use a screen-reader, head-pointer, sip and puff, or another device to mark your ballot.

The system opens to all San Francisco voters starting 29 days before Election Day. Follow these steps to use the system: 

Step 1: Log in to the accessible vote-by-mail system and review the instructions.

Step 2: Mark and review your ballot, using a mouse, keyboard, or assistive device.

Step 3: Print your marked ballot or save it as a PDF file to print out later.

Step 4: Prepare your accessible ballot return envelope. You can either:

• Use the official return envelope you received in your ballot packet, OR
• Use 2 regular envelopes, following the instructions provided online.

Step 5: Return your accessible ballot printout in person or by mail.

For security, the accessible ballot system does not store or transmit votes over the internet. Voters must return accessible ballot printouts by Election Day.