Voting in person at City Hall (Early Voting)
Beginning 29 days before each election, you may vote early at the Department of Elections' Early Voting Counter. The Early Voting Counter is located on the Ground Floor of San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 48. Enter City Hall at Grove Street.
Office hours for early voting are as follows:
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
- 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday (two weekends before Election Day)
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day
For specific dates for Early Voting, please see Important Dates & Deadlines
Applying for permanent Vote-by-Mail status:
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- Complete the form on the back cover of your Voter Information Pamphlet
- Be sure to check the box on either the Vote-By-Mail Ballot Application or the form on the back cover of the Voter Information Pamphlet that states, "Check here if you wish to become a permanent vote-by-mail voter" and sign your name where it says "Sign Here"; or
- Complete Application for Permanent Vote-by-Mail Status (PDF)
- First-class postage required if returned by U.S. mail
Return to:
Department of Elections
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 48
San Francisco, CA 94102
Applying for a Vote-by-Mail Ballot
There are four ways to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot:
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Complete the application provided on the back cover of your Voter Information Pamphlet; or
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You may also download a
Vote-by-Mail Application (PDF),which you can fill out and mail to the Department of Elections.
First-class postage required if returned by U.S. mail; or
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You may send us a signed note, postcard, or fax requesting a vote-by-mail ballot.
On the request, please include the following:
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The election date for which you are requesting a vote-by-mail ballot
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Your full name
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Date of birth
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Your residential address
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The address where the ballot is to be sent - if different from residential address
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Your daytime phone number (Optional)
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The date of your request
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Your signature (Your request cannot be processed without it)
Submitting Your Vote-by-Mail Application Form
Your completed and signed request may be faxed, mailed or delivered to:
Department of Elections
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 48
San Francisco, CA 94102
Fax: (415) 554-4372
You may also have someone else deliver your vote-by-mail application.
Political campaigns often request that voters mail their applications to campaign headquarters. Mailing your vote-by-mail application to a third party may delay the delivery of your vote-by-mail ballot. It is advisable that completed vote-by-mail applications be delivered directly to the Department of Elections.
Delivery of Vote-By-Mail Ballot after the Vote-by-Mail Deadline
If, within seven days before an election, you are unable, for any reason, to go to your polling place on Election Day, you may authorize a representative to pick up your vote-by-mail ballot in person at the Early Voting Counter. Your authorization, signed under penalty of perjury, must include your voter details, i.e. name, date of birth, San Francisco residence address, name of person authorized to pick up your ballot, and your signature.
Your authorized representative may:
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Return the ballot to the Department of Elections or to any polling place by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
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Please Note: If your authorized representative returns the ballot, the appropriate section located on the upper flap of the vote-by-mail return envelope must be completed.
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Emergency ballots may not be mailed.
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Most hospitals and nursing homes provide assistance for their patients.
Marking your Vote-by-Mail Ballot
To ensure that your ballot is counted:
- Make no identifying marks on your ballot
- Do not sign or initial your ballot
- Sign your name on the vote-by-mail return envelope
(You must personally sign in the space provided; no one else, including persons with power of attorney, is permitted to sign for you)
Important: Please do not damage the bar code on your return envelope. It assists us in processing your ballot in a timely manner.
No postage is necessary to return your vote-by-mail envelope, if mailed within the U.S.
Deadline for Returning your Vote-by-Mail Ballot
Your ballot must arrive at the Department of Elections' City Hall office or at any San Francisco polling place by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Ballots that arrive in our office or at a polling place after 8:00 p.m. on Election Day will not be counted--even if a postmark on your vote-by-mail return envelope is dated before or on Election Day.
Having Someone Else Return Your Vote-by-Mail Envelope
Both you and the person returning the ballot MUST complete and sign the appropriate sections on the vote-by-mail return envelope.
