Voters who miss the deadline may register and vote at a Vote Center
October 19, 2018

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 & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, Mark Church, announced today that Monday, October 22, 2018 is the deadline to register to vote in the November 6, 2018 Statewide General Election.

Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to register to vote, a person must be a U.S. citizen; at least 18 years old by Election Day; not in prison or on parole for a felony conviction; and not deemed by a court to be mentally incompetent to register to vote.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can pre-register to vote. Persons who are pre-registered will automatically become a registered voter on their eighteenth birthday.

Registration Deadline Requirements
Voter Registration Forms sent by mail must be postmarked on or before October 22. To register online, visit the San Mateo County official elections website at www.smcacre.org and click on “Register to Vote.” Registrations online must be submitted by midnight on October 22.

Voter Registration Forms are available at the following locations:

  • Public Libraries
  • City and Town Halls
  • Post Offices
  • Department of Motor Vehicles Offices
  • Any of the county’s Vote Centers

A full list of Vote Center locations can be found online at smcacre.org/current-election.

Conditional Voter Registration (CVR)
Voters who miss the voter registration deadline can “conditionally” register to vote and vote provisionally on the same day at any County Vote Center. Under this law, once the county elections official processes the affidavit of registration, determines the individual’s eligibility to register, and validates the individual’s information, the registration becomes permanent and the CVR provisional ballot will be counted.

Vote Centers currently open for the November Election from 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. are located at:

  • 40 Tower Road, San Mateo
  • 555 County Center, 1st Floor, Redwood City
  • 840 West Orange Avenue, South San Francisco (South San Francisco Main Library)
  • 550 Bell Street, East Palo Alto (Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA)

Five additional Vote Centers will open daily beginning October 27 through November 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (including weekends).

Thirty-nine Vote Centers will be open Saturday, November 3 through Monday, November 5 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. All Vote Centers will be open Election Day, Tuesday, November 6 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Changes of Name, Address or Party Affiliation
Voters must re-register whenever they move to a new address, change their name or would like to change political party affiliation. Registered voters who re-register are updating their existing record and not creating a new one.

Confirming Current Registration Status 
Eligible and registered voters can confirm their current registration status online at smcacre.org/current-election by clicking on “Check My Registration.” The latest county registration statistics, updated weekly, are available under “Voter Registration.”

New Election Model for November 6, 2018
The November 6, 2018 Statewide General Election will be the second election conducted under the California Voter’s Choice Act model.  Traditional polling places will be replaced by Vote Centers, which will be open for voting for a greater period, and which will offer expanded voter services including voter registration, multilingual assistance, and disabled access voting options. Every registered voter will also receive a Vote-by-Mail Ballot, which can be returned with no postage required in any mailbox or special ballot drop boxes located throughout the county.

For more information on the November 6, 2018 Statewide General Election, please call or text 650.312.5222, visit www.smcvote.org or follow @smcvote on Twitter and Instagram.

Related Contacts

Mark Church

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer
555 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063-1665Get Directions
Phone:
650.363.4988

Jim Irizarry

Asst. Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Asst. Chief Elections Officer
555 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063-1665Get Directions
Phone:
650.363.4988