Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: David Tom, Elections Manager

(Redwood City, CA) Voters who wish to receive their Vote by Mail ballot in the mail (USPS) for the June 5, 2012 Presidential Primary Election must ensure that the request is received by the Elections Office no later than Tuesday, May 29.  This legal deadline is to allow for sufficient time for postal delivery to and from the voter.

After May 29, all requests must be made in person at the Elections Office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo or at the Office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder at 555 County Center, First Floor, in Redwood City.  The hours for the two offices are as follows:

May 7 to June 4, weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays, May 26 and June 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
June 5 (Election Day) from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

“Voting by mail is a convenient and reliable method, and we expect more than half of all county voters to do so in this election.  This is definitely a popular option here and throughout California,” stated Mark Church, San Mateo County’s Chief Elections Officer and Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder.

A request to vote by mail can be made solely for this election or for all future elections until the voter cancels, which can be done at any time.

Voters may choose from a number of ways to make the request, including:

• Complete the application form on the back cover of the voter’s “Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet,” and mail it to the address indicated, or fax it to 650.312.5348
• Submit the request online by using the request form tool accessed via the “Check my Registration/Access My Election Materials/View My Sample Ballot Pamphlet” link at www.shapethefuture.org
• Instead of the application form, prepare a written request, signed by the voter, that states the voter’s full name, residence address, mailing address (if different from the residence address), date of birth, and name and date of the election for which the Vote by Mail ballot is requested.  Fax it to 650.312.5348 or mail it to the San Mateo County Elections Office at 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, CA 94402.

Vote by Mail ballots must be physically received by the Elections Office by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.  A postmarked ballot that arrives after the polls close cannot be counted.  Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted.  If time is running short, the voter may personally deliver the voted mail ballot on Election Day until 8:00 p.m., at either of the two County Elections Office sites or at any open polling place in San Mateo County.  Also, any city clerk’s office in the county will accept voted ballots on Election Day, but only during its regular business hours. 

Voters who have questions are encouraged to contact the Elections Office, either by phone 650.312.5222, by e-mail (registrar@smcare.org) or online (www.shapethefuture.org). 

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