Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

(Redwood City, CA) On Thursday, October 26, authorized staff of the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division will open and process returned Vote by Mail ballots for the November 7, 2017 Consolidated Municipal, School and Special District Election.

“Preparations are currently underway for the opening and processing of returned Vote by Mail ballots beginning this Thursday,” announced Mark Church, San Mateo County’s Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. “Members of the public are invited to observe our Vote by Mail operations at the Registration & Elections Division, located at 40 Tower Road, in San Mateo,” he added

Election officials may open the return envelopes containing voted mail ballots beginning ten (10) business days before Election Day. Opening and processing will begin at 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 25. This process will continue daily thereafter from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or until all ballots are processed for the day through the Official Canvass.

For each ballot, an election official will compare the voter’s signature on the outside of the envelope to the signature on the voter’s original registration application or other updated signatures on file.

The ballot is separated from the envelope to preserve secrecy. The envelope is saved for the mandatory retention period and the ballot is digitally scanned. The voting marks captured in the scanning system’s memory will not be tabulated (counted) or reported until the close of voting at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Those interested in observing the process may come to the Registration & Elections Division, 40 Tower Road, San Mateo at any time or make prior arrangements by contacting Elections Supervisor Lupe Marin at 650.312.5389 or lmarin@smcare.org. Observers will receive a copy of our Election Observer Program Guidelines which specifies observer rights, responsibilities and limitations, and a copy of the Vote by Mail processing procedures.

Registered voters may use the Access my Election Materials/View My Voter Information Pamphlet/Track My Ballot link under the “Voting” section on www.shapethefuture.org to verify when ballot materials were mailed and when the Registration & Elections Division received their voted ballot.

The last day for registered voters to request a ballot to be mailed to them for the November Consolidated Municipal, School and Special District Election is Tuesday, October 31, 2017. Voted mail ballot can be returned in one of the following ways:

• Mail your ballot in the POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE. Ballots must be postmarked by November 7 and received by the Registration & Elections Division no later than November 13
• Drop off your ballots at our 24-hour ballot drop box at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo by 8 p.m. on Election Day
• Drop off your ballot at any City/Town Hall holding an election during business hours on or before Election day
• Drop off your ballot at one of the three Voting Centers during business hours before Election Day or from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day
• Drop off your ballot at any active polling place from 7 a.m. to 8.pm. on Election Day

For more information on the November 7, 2017 Consolidated Municipal, School and Special District Election, please call 650.312.5222, visit www.shapethefuture.org or follow @smcvote on Twitter.

The press release is displayed in its original format. San Mateo County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections website now resides at www.smcacre.org