First step: Registration
Make sure you are registered to vote. If you are registered, and everything is correct, you will automatically receive your ballot in the first couple of weeks of October.
The deadline to register or make changes to your registration information is Monday, October 19.
Update your Registration
The deadline to register or make changes to your registration information is Monday, October 19. Please note that while the form is accessible online you must print, sign, and return this form by mail, email, fax, or in person, following the instructions on the printed form. To change your name or political party preference, you must re-register to vote.
Next step: Education
A wide variety of resources are available to get information on local, state and federal candidates, as well as, state and local ballot measures and propositions.
Personalized Ballot Information
Foremost is understanding what is going to be on your ballot.
California State Propositions
- Easy Voter Guide (League of Women Voters® of California Education Fund and the California State Library)
- CA Pros & Cons Guide (League of Women Voters® of California Education Fund)
- CA Secretary of State Official Voter Guide
Local Elections
Candidate Forums
The League of Women Voters of San Francisco hosted virtual nonpartisan Candidate Forums for the Board of Supervisors contests in Districts 1,7 and 11.
Candidate Statements
In partnership with SFGovTV, the League of Women Voters of San Francisco produced video statements by candidates for San Francisco offices. All candidates for an office were offered the opportunity to make a video.
In these 2 minute videos candidates present their qualifications and views on issues important to San Francisco voters.
Last step: Vote!
Your Ballot Your Voice
So now you are registered and informed. It’s time to fill out your ballot and return it!
All registered voters in California will be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot by October 5, 2020.
We’re going to cover the “soup to nuts” of returning your vote-by-mail ballot.
Filling out your Ballot
If you make a mistake and need a replacement ballot, submit your request through the San Francisco Department of Elections Voter Portal or by call (415) 554-4375.
Tracking your Ballot
Check your registration status and track your ballot as it moves through the steps of printing, assembly, delivery, and processing using the San Francisco Department of Elections Voter Portal or CA Secretary of State Where's my Ballot?
Make sure your Ballot will be Counted!
Fill in your ballot as best you can. You do not have to vote on every contest, proposition or ballot measure. It is acceptable to skip some.
Sign the envelope! This is one of the top reasons your ballot could be rejected. Your signature on the return envelope will be compared to the signature on your voter registration record to ensure that they match. To preserve the secrecy of your ballot, the ballot will then be separated from the envelope and then it will be tallied.
Register with the CA Secretary of State Where's my Ballot? This program allows you to get email or SMS updates once your ballot is received, and counted.
Get it in on time! The best option is to drop off your ballot early and in-person at the City Hall Voting Center.
Drop-off In-Person
From October 5 through November 3, you may visit a Voting Center to drop off your vote-by-mail ballot. #VoteEarly #VoteSafe and avoid the crowds!
The City Hall Voting Center will be set up outside of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on 99 Grove Street between Polk and Larkin Streets.
- Every weekday, October 5 to November 2, from 8 am to 5 pm
- Three weekends, October 17 & 18, October 24 & 25 and October 31 & November 1, from 10 am to 4 pm
- Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, from 7 am to 8 pm (same voting hours as polling places).
On Election Day, November 3, you can drop off your vote-by-mail ballot at a local polling place or the City Hall Voting Center outside of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on 99 Grove Street between Polk and Larkin Streets from 7 am to 8 pm.
If you return your ballot in person, you must do so no later than 8 pm on Election Day, November 3. All 588 polling places throughout the City will be open for vote-by-mail ballot drop-off from 7 am to 8 pm on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.
Ballots may also be be dropped off at locations in each Supervisorial District. Find your ballot drop-off station here.
Dates and hours:
- Saturday/Sunday: October 31-November 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Monday November 2: from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
You may also return your ballot in any other county in California or authorize another person to drop off your ballot for you.
Need help with Ballot Pick-up, Delivery and Return?
San Francisco provides several voting options and services to ensure that every voter can cast a ballot safely and securely, including Ballot Pick-up, Delivery and Return.
Authorize a family member or housemate to pick up a ballot and deliver it to the voter
Beginning October 5, any registered voter may authorize a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, or person residing in their household to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot from a voting center and deliver it to them, provided the authorized person is at least 16 years old.
To authorize a family member or housemate to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot, complete a Family and Household Ballot Pickup Form (PDF) or provide a written authorization, and sign the form or written authorization under penalty of perjury, including name, date of birth, residential address, and the name of the person authorized to pick up the ballot.
To pick up a ballot, the authorized person must bring the completed form to the City Hall Voting Center, located in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on 99 Grove Street.
Voting Center hours:
- Weekdays, October 5-November 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m;
- Two weekends, October 24-25 and October 31-November 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m; and
- Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
To make the voting experience faster and safer, use the Voting Locations and Wait Times Tool to check wait times at the Voting Center.
Authorize another person to pick up an emergency ballot and deliver it to the voter
From October 28 through Election Day, November 3, any registered voter who still needs a ballot and is unable to travel to a polling place or voting center because of illness, disability, or confinement to home, hospital or detention center, including a voter under COVID-19 related quarantine, may authorize anyone to pick up and deliver an emergency vote-by-mail ballot to them.
To authorize someone to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot, complete the Emergency Ballot Pickup Form (PDF) or provide a written authorization, and sign the form or written authorization under penalty of perjury, including name, date of birth, residential address, and the name of the person authorized to pick up the ballot.
The person authorized will receive the ballot after presenting the signed authorization at the Voting Center (see above for locations and hours).
Authorize Department of Elections Staff to pick up a ballot and deliver it to the voter
From October 28 through Election Day, Department of Elections staff can also deliver and pick up ballots for hospitalized, homebound or confined voters. On Election Day, the Department organizes personnel dedicated solely to delivering and picking up ballots for voters who find themselves unable to make it to the polls.
To request such service, voters may call (415) 554-4375 or send an email to sfvote@sfgov.org.
Authorize someone to return a ballot
Beginning October 5, any voter who is unable to return their vote-by-mail ballot may authorize another person to return their ballot by mail, or to any ballot drop-off box, voting center, or polling place in the state.
To authorize someone to return a vote-by-mail ballot, complete and sign the Ballot Return Authorization section on the official ballot return envelope.
Per the Deliver the Vote from Mayor Breed, you can also contact Shanti.org to get assistance with drop-off. To request this service: Text 415.449.7190 or call 415.674.4701 or visit Shanti.org
Other assistance
For additional assistance to receive or return a ballot, please contact the Department using the Department’s contact form, or as follows:
Email: SFVote@sfgov.org
Phone: (415) 554-4375
Fax: (415) 554-7344
TTY: (415) 554-4386
Hours: Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Using the Accessible Vote-by-Mail System
Printing you own ballot
For the first time this year, from October 5 through 8:00 pm November 3, all San Francisco voters can use the remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail (AVBM) System to vote. (It was previously available only to limited groups of voters.)
Here’s how to use, or continue to use, the System on your computer or tablet:
1) When you receive your paper vote-by-mail ballot in the mail, be sure to keep the ballot and official envelope, as you may want to use them to submit your ballot. If you lose or misplace them, options are described below in (5).
2) Visit sfelections.org/access, and submit your house number, ZIP code and date of birth. Then, you can read or listen to voting instructions, connect an assistive device, and/or adjust the font, contrast, and language settings, as desired. Mark the AVBM ballot on your computer or tablet.
3) Review your ballot, make necessary corrections, and print your completed ballot. If your computer is not connected to a printer, you may save your marked ballot as a PDF to print elsewhere. For example, you can save your marked ballot to a USB drive and print it later at a public library or a friend’s house.
4) If you want to submit your ballot using the official envelope (included with the ballot you received in the mail), place your printed AVBM ballot in the official envelope and then seal the envelope. You must sign the envelope. Persons with a sight disability are provided specially punched holes to indicate where to sign. The envelope also provides instructions on how voters unable to sign may substitute a witnessed mark for a signature. There are 4 ways you, or an authorized person, can submit your official envelope with ballot:
- In a drop box;
- At a Voting Center;
- At a polling place; or
- By mail to the Department of Elections (Contact Information below). You do not have to add postage if you are using the envelope provided to you.
If you do not have the official return envelope, you can request one by contacting the Department of Elections (Contact Information below). Also, from October 30 to November 3, when it is too late to mail a replacement envelope, you can request the envelope at a voting center.
If you do not have the official envelope, you can submit your ballot by using 2 plain envelopes:
a) Place the ballot you printed into a plain envelope, then seal the envelope.
b) Write “Official Ballot – To Be Opened Only by the San Francisco Department of Elections” on the front of the envelope.
c) Enclose a Ballot Return Form PDF (sfelections.sfgov.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Voting/2020/N20_Ballot_Return_Form.pdf),
d) There are 4 ways you, or an authorized person, can return your plain envelopes and ballot:
- In a drop box;
- At a Voting Center;
- At a polling place; or
- By mail to the Department of Elections (Contact Information below). You must place an appropriate amount of postage on the outer envelope.
Contact Information for AVBM questions or technical support:
Email: SFVote@sfgov.org
Phone: (415) 554-4375; (866) 325-9163 (toll free)
Fax: (415) 554-7344
TTY: (415) 554-4386
中文: (415) 554-4367
Español: (415) 554-4366
Filipino: (415) 554-4310
Mail or visit:
Department of Elections
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
City Hall, Room 48
San Francisco, CA 94102
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm
Individuals with disabilities may also contact Disability Rights California’s Voting Hotline for further information: (888) 569-7955; TTY (800) 719-5798.
Military and Overseas Voters
Military and Overseas Voters can choose to receive a ballot via email, fax, or postal mail. By law, the Elections Department may begin sending ballots to military and overseas voters via their selected method of delivery 60 days before the election and must complete such deliveries no later than 45 days before the election. If you register as a Military or Overseas Voter after this time period, the Department has 3 to 5 days to process your request and send your ballot.
You can use the Voter Portal at sfelections.sfgov.org/military-and-overseas-voting to check the ballot delivery method in your registration record, and to track your ballot as it moves through the process.
Accessible Vote-by-Mail System Military and Overseas voters may access a ballot by computer or tablet, using the remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail (AVBM) system. The AVBM system will be open to Military and Overseas voters beginning 60 to 45 days before Election Day, and remain open through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Here are the steps:
1) Visit sfelections.org/access, and login with the house number of your San Francisco residence, zip code and date of birth. Then, mark the AVBM ballot on your computer or tablet.
2) Review your ballot, make necessary corrections, and print your completed ballot. If your computer is not connected to a printer, you may save your marked ballot as a PDF to print elsewhere. For example, you can save your marked ballot to a USB drive and print it later at a publicly available site.
The Federal Voting Assistance Program also provides a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (PDF) (FWAB) to serve as a backup ballot. You may use FWAB if there isn’t enough time to receive and send back your ballot before the election.
You can return your ballot by mail, or in person to any voting center or polling place. You may also authorize another person to drop off your ballot for you. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked before or on Election Day, November 3. Ballots returned in person must be dropped off no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.
If you mail your ballot using the official ballot return envelope (enclosed with the vote-by-mail packet) you received in the mail:
1) Place your ballot cards or ballot printout from the AVBM system into your official ballot return envelope.
2) Seal and sign the return envelope. You must sign the envelope.
3) Apply the postage required by your location only if mailing outside the United States.
If you mail your ballot but do not have the official ballot return envelope, you can use 2 plain envelopes:
1) Place your ballot cards or ballot printout from the AVBM system into a plain envelope, then seal the envelope.
2) Write “Official Ballot – To Be Opened Only by the San Francisco Department of Elections” on the front of the envelope.
3) Enclose a Ballot Return Form (PDF), along with your ballot envelope, in a 2nd envelope.4) To return your ballot by mail, apply the postage required by your location on the outer envelope, and mail it to:
Department of Elections
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place City Hall, Room 48
San Francisco, CA 94102
You may also return your ballot by fax, if you are living outside the territorial limits of the United States, or have been called for military service within the United States after October 26. To be counted, your faxed ballot must be received by the Department of Elections no later than 8 p.m. PT on Election Day, November 3. Voters may not return faxed ballots by email.
To return your ballot by fax, you must send the following two items, arranged in this order, in a single fax transmission to (415)-554-4372:
1) Completed and signed "Voter Oath for Fax Ballot Return" (PDF), with a signature that must compare to the signature on your voter registration record. If your signature changed, submit a new Federal Post Card application in advance. If you are unable to sign, make your “mark” and have a witness sign next to it.
2) Your ballot printout from the Accessible Vote-by-Mail System or, if you marked your ballot by hand, all sides of your ballot cards, in a faxable size (8.5 x 11 inches or similar). You may photocopy your ballot to reduce the size.
Contact Information for AVBM questions or technical support:Email: SFVote@sfgov.orgPhone:
(415) 554-4375; (866) 325-9163 (toll free)
Fax: (415) 554-7344 TTY: (415) 554-4386
中文: (415) 554-4367 Español: (415) 554-4366
Filipino: (415) 554-4310
Mail or visit:
Department of Elections1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place City Hall, Room 48
San Francisco, CA 94102
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm
For more information, visit the Accessible Vote-by-Mail System page at sfelections.sfgov.org/vote-using-accessible-vote-mail-system
Ranked Choice Voting in San Francisco
Ranked-choice voting allows you to vote for multiple candidates, in order of preference. Instead of just choosing who you want to win, you fill out the ballot indicating who is your first choice, second choice, or third choice and so on, depending on the number of qualified candidates (up to 10), for each position.
San Francisco voters use ranked-choice voting for most local offices, including:
- Mayor
- Assessor-Recorder
- City Attorney
- District Attorney
- Public Defender
- Sheriff
- Treasurer
- Members of the Board of Supervisors
How to mark your ballot:
Your ballot will list the names of candidates in a row on the left side of the ballot. Across from each name will be columns for you to mark your choice.To rank candidates on the ballot, fill in the ovals from left to right:
- In the first column for your first choice.
- In the second column for your second choice.
- In the third column for your third choice, and so on.
Helpful details:
- You can rank all available candidates in a given contest. The number of rankings listed on the ballot for an office will be based on the number of candidates running for that office. In other words, ranked-choice voting contests with 10 or more qualified candidates will have 10 rankings, while contests with fewer candidates will have fewer rankings.
- You can rank as many or as few candidates as you like. Giving a candidate multiple rankings, such as first, second, third, etc. choice, does not benefit the candidate, because you can only vote one time for a candidate and only the highest ranking will count.
- Do not fill in more than one oval in the same column. If you give the same ranking to multiple candidates, your vote in that rank and later ranks will not count, since your intent for your first choice cannot be determined. This is called an “over-vote.”
- To vote for a qualified write-in candidate who is not listed on the ballot, write the person’s name in the space at the end of the candidate list and fill in the oval for the rank you choose.
How your ranked-choice votes are counted
Round 1
Everyone’s first-choice is counted. (Only your first choice is counted in Round 1.) If a candidate receives more than 50% of first-choice votes, an outright majority, that candidate wins the election.
If no candidate wins in Round 1, counting goes to Round 2.
Round 2
The candidate in the last place, with the fewest first-choice votes, is eliminated.
The votes are counted again. If your first choice has not been eliminated, then your vote remains with your first choice. If your first choice is eliminated, then your vote for your second choice will be counted for your second-choice candidate. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in Round 2, that candidate wins.
Additional Rounds
If no candidate wins in Round 2, the rounds continue until there is a winner. During each round, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and voters who chose the eliminated candidate will have their vote counted for their next choice. In other words, your second, third, fourth, and other choices will be considered only if your first-choice candidate does not win.
Example:
Round 1
Assume that there are four candidates for an elected position. The table below presents the first-choice vote totals for each candidate.
Candidate A: 475
Candidate B: 300
Candidate C: 175
Candidate D: 76
Round 2
In the above scenario, no candidate won an outright majority of first-choice votes. There were 1026 votes cast and a candidate would need 513 votes to win (50%.) As a result, Candidate D with the smallest number of first-choice votes is eliminated. The ballots that listed candidate D as the first choice will now have their votes awarded to their second-choice candidates. Assume that, of the 76 first-choice votes for Candidate D, 51 listed Candidate A as their second choice and 25 listed Candidate B. The adjusted vote totals would be as follows:
Candidate A: 526
Candidate B: 325
Candidate C: 175
On the second tally, Candidate A secured 51% of the vote, thereby winning the election.
Donate for Democracy
Our work doesn’t stop. Help us empower voters and defend democracy in San Francisco!