October 3, 2012

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

(Redwood City, CA) The first of 44 styles of Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlets will be mailed to the 341,762 voters of San Mateo County beginning on Wednesday, October 3 and concluding approximately 10 business days later. 

As part of the Election Office’s continued effort to use resources wisely, San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer Mark Church announced “Voters now have the option to Go Green by downloading and viewing a copy of their Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet from the Elections website, www.shapethefuture.org.” Voters should then click on Check My Registration Access My Election Materials View My Sample Ballot Pamphlet. After signing up only once to participate in this program, the voter will not receive a paper pamphlet for future elections until the voter notifies the Elections Office to resume delivery of the paper pamphlet. “This is a great way to help conserve our natural resources and save the county money,” Church added. 

The Federal Voting Rights Act ensures that all voters have language accessible election information.  Voters who prefer Chinese or Spanish language election materials may request them at the time they register to vote or at anytime thereafter.  All voters receive a copy of the pamphlet in English, regardless of the language they select.

The Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet helps to educate voters by publishing voluntarily submitted candidate statements, ballot measures and related arguments and rebuttals, relevant voting information and voting resources.  It is mailed to every registered voter.  Visually impaired voters may request a copy of the county’s Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet on audiotape by calling 650.312.5222.

“Voters are facing important decisions at all levels of government.” noted Church. “I encourage voters to review the material carefully, make their choices, mark up the Sample Ballot, and, if they are voting at the polls on Election Day, to bring it with them to the polls. That extra preparation helps the voter, the election officers and voters who may be waiting in line to vote.  More importantly, it helps the voter to make sure that his/her choices are marked correctly,” Church said.

Voters can find the location of their polling place printed on the back cover of the pamphlet. On occasion, polling places have to be relocated due to unforeseen circumstances. “We encourage all voters to double-check the location of their polling place on the back cover of the pamphlet or by visiting our website,” Church added.

In addition to the county’s Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet, voters will receive the State Voter Information Guide in the mail.  One State Voter Information Guide will be sent per household.  The state typically mails the Voter Information Guide six to eight weeks in advance of the election.   The primary components of the guide are the state propositions (title and summary, analysis, arguments for and against and text of the proposed law) and candidate statements for candidates seeking federal office who submitted statements for publication in the guide.

The Voter Information Guide is available on the Secretary of State’s website in PDF format in a variety of languages at www.voterguide.sos.ca.gov.

If you have any questions regarding the county’s Sample Ballot delivery schedule, please call the Elections Division at 650.312.5222 or email registrar@smcare.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

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