San Francisco Sun

The Department of Elections in San Francisco is set to begin processing vote-by-mail ballots for the upcoming November 5 election starting Monday, October 7. The process involves sorting and scanning returned ballots, verifying signatures, extracting ballot cards from envelopes, and remaking ballots if necessary. These activities will be conducted transparently with live streaming available according to a predetermined schedule.

Live streaming will cover various stages of the ballot processing: envelope sorting and scanning for signature verification from October 7; ballot remaking also from October 7; extraction beginning on October 8; scanning starting on October 10; and adjudication available from October 26.

Director John Arntz emphasized the thoroughness of the process: “Our personnel process all returned vote-by-mail ballots methodically,” he stated. He highlighted that there is a formal chain of custody throughout, ensuring no single individual handles a ballot independently. All staff involved undergo comprehensive training and must acknowledge security rules.

The initial step in processing involves capturing an image of each envelope's signature for comparison with voter registration records. If signatures match, the Department can proceed to open envelopes and scan the ballot cards. The Department follows strict protocols to maintain election integrity while upholding voters' rights to a secret ballot.

The Department aims to verify signatures on all received vote-by-mail ballot envelopes within one day of receipt, whether through USPS or official drop boxes. This enables regular updates on ballot status via the Voter Portal at sfelections.gov/voterportal, allowing voters to track their ballots easily.

Public observation is encouraged either in person at City Hall or via live stream at sfelections.gov/observe.

For further information regarding the November 5 election, contact the Department of Elections by phone at (415) 554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org.