Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Assistant Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
(Redwood City, CA) Mark Church, San Mateo County’s Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, announced that Tuesday, October 9, 2018 is the first day of the voting period for the November 6, 2018 Statewide General Election. It is also the first day that Official Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in San Mateo County.
The November 6, 2018 Statewide General Election will be the second election conducted under the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA). The VCA implements an All-Mailed Ballot - Vote Center model where every voter, who has registered by October 22, will be mailed a Vote by Mail ballot. Voters have three ways to return their voted ballot: Mail the ballot back in the included postage-paid envelope, return the ballot to a Vote Center or drop it off at any official ballot drop box located throughout the county. Voted ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day, November 6, and received by Friday, November 9, to be accepted.
VOTE CENTER HOURS AND LOCATIONS
Vote Centers will replace traditional polling places and are designed to provide expanded voting services such as voter registration, multilingual assistance and disabled access voting options. Voters may cast ballots at any Vote Center of their choosing and are encouraged to visit Vote Centers during the early voting period to avoid long lines on Election Day.
The following Vote Centers will be open 28 days prior to Election Day:
- Registration & Elections Division, 40 Tower Road, San Mateo
- Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, 555 County Center, First Floor, Redwood City
- South San Francisco Main Library, 840 West Orange Avenue, South San Francisco
- Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA, 555 Bell Street, East Palo Alto
Hours of operation for the four Vote Centers are as follows:
- Tuesday, October 9, through Friday, October 26: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weekdays)
- Saturday, October 27, through Friday, November 2: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (daily including weekends)
- Saturday, November 3, through Monday, November 5: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (daily including weekends)
- Tuesday, November 6 (Election Day): 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
An additional five Vote Centers will open on Saturday, October 27 with an additional thirty Vote Centers opening on Saturday, November 3. All thirty-nine Vote Centers will remain open through Election Day.
Voters are encouraged to go to “My Election Info” on www.smcvote.org to track when ballot materials were mailed and when voted ballots are received by the Registration & Elections Division. Voters can also confirm that their ballots were accepted.
The Registration & Elections Division offers a toll-free hotline, 888.872.8683, to provide assistance in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Tagalog.
For more information, please call or text 650.312.5222, visit www.smcvote.org or follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @smcvote.