Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
(Redwood City, CA) San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer Mark Church announced that the first 10-day public review period for local ballot measures and local candidate filing documents for the June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary Election will open at 5 p.m. on March 9, 2018. The public review period gives voters an opportunity to review and challenge the language of a proposed ballot measure or candidate statement before it is published in the Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet.
This review period is the first of four separate public review periods that occur in relation to the June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary Election. All review periods will begin at 5 p.m. on their respective opening date on our website, www.smcacre.org/elections under Current Election.
Public Review Period Schedule
March 9 – March 19
For candidate statements and ballot measures filed by the filing deadline of March 9 at 5 p.m., the public review period ends on March 19 at 5 p.m.
March 14 – March 26
For candidate statements from candidates who filed during the extended candidate filing period closing on March 14 at 5 p.m., the 10-day review period ends on a Saturday, March 24; therefore, the deadline is extended to March 26 at 5 p.m., the next business day.
March 16 – March 26
Primary arguments for and against ballot measures.
March 26 – April 5
Rebuttal arguments for and against primary arguments and impartial analyses for each ballot measure.
During each 10-day public review period, registered voters, in a contest for which they are eligible to vote, may seek a judicial writ of mandate or injunction requiring any or all of the materials to be amended or deleted. The request for writ of mandate or injunction shall be filed no later than the end of the review period.
All documents will be available for in-person review Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at:
Registration & Elections Division
Office of the Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
County of San Mateo
40 Tower Road
San Mateo, CA 94402
New Election Model for June 5, 2018
The June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary Election will be the first election conducted under the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA). The VCA will implement an All-Mailed Ballot/Vote Center model, with every registered voter receiving a Vote-by-Mail Ballot through the mail. The Vote-by-Mail Ballot may be returned by mail, dropped off at any Vote Center or Special Ballot Drop Boxes located throughout the county. Return postage will be prepaid for those voters wishing to return their ballots through USPS.
Vote Centers will replace traditional polling places and will be open for voting throughout the early voting period. Vote Centers will be providing expanded voter services such as voter registration, multilingual assistance, and disabled access voting options.
For more information on candidate filing, the California Voter’s Choice Act and the new All-Mailed Ballot/Vote Center election model, please call 650.312.5222, visit www.smcacre.org or follow us on Twitter @smcvote.