2024 Elections

What’s going to be on the ballot?
On the March 5th Presidential Primary ballot, voters will be voting on candidate races at the local, state, and federal level, as well as on ballot measures at the local and state level. Races include primaries for U.S. President, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, State Senator, State Assemblymember, Superior Court Judge, and more.

When will I receive my ballot in the mail?
Ballots will start arriving in early February 2024! You can track your ballot here.

What’s the deadline to register to be able to vote in this election?
Register by February 20th, 2024, but if you miss the deadline, you can register and vote conditionally the day of the election because California has same-day voter registration. This just means you can register and vote the day of an election, but your vote won’t be counted until they can confirm your eligibility to vote.

When can I start voting?
As soon as you receive your ballot in the mail, you can start voting! Drop it off at a vote center, ballot dropbox, or send it back in the mail. You can also start voting once early vote centers open on February 5th, 2024.

What is the last day I can return by ballot by?
Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before March 5th, 2024, and received by your county elections office no later than March 12, 2024. Ballots returned in person to your county elections office, vote center, or ballot drop-off location must be returned by by 8pm on March 5th, 2024.

To locate an early voting or ballot drop-off location near you, visit CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov or contact your county elections office.

When will I receive my ballot in the mail?
Ballots will start arriving in early October 2024! You can track your ballot here.

What’s the deadline to register to be able to vote in this election?
Register by October 21st, 2024, but if you miss the deadline, you can register and vote conditionally the day of the election because California has same-day voter registration. This just means you can register and vote the day of an election, but your vote won’t be counted until they can confirm your eligibility to vote.

When can I start voting?
As soon as you receive your ballot in the mail, you can start voting! Drop it off at a vote center, ballot dropbox, or send it back in the mail. You can also start voting once early vote centers open on October 7th, 2024.

What is the last day I can return by ballot by?
Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before November 5th, 2024, and received by your county elections office no later than November 12th, 2024. Ballots returned in person to your county elections office, vote center, or ballot drop-off location must be returned by by 8pm on November 5th, 2024.

To locate an early voting or ballot drop-off location near you, visit CAEarlyVoting.sos.ca.gov or contact your county elections office.

Am I eligible to vote?

• To register to vote in San Francisco, you must be:
  • A United States Citizen
  • A San Francisco resident
  • At least 18 years old* before or on the day of the election
  • Not be in state or federal prison for the conviction of a felony
  • Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court

How do I vote?

California now sends all voters ballots in the mail, so you don’t need to take any extra steps to get a ballot mailed to you. Just be sure that you are registered to vote and that your voter registration has your current mailing address. 

You can return your ballot by:

• Mail: Must be postmarked on or before Election Day. No postage required!
• Ballot drop-box: Find your nearest ballot drop-box here and your nearest polling station here. Drop off at your county elections office, any vote center or polling place in California, or any ballot drop-off location or drop box before the polls close at 8p.m. on Election Day.
• In-person at a voting center: You must be in line by 8pm on Election Day to be able to cast your vote in-person at a voting center. 

I have a felony conviction. Can I still vote? 

You can register to vote and vote in an election in California if you are not currently serving a state or federal prison term for the conviction of a felony. Read more about whether you can register and vote with a felony conviction here.

How do I know if I’m already registered?

Check your voter registration status here.

What if I miss the deadline to register to vote?

You can conditionally register and vote at your county elections office or polling location after the voter registration deadline, up to and including Election Day.

Here’s how it works:

1. Visit your county elections office, a vote center, or polling place in your county
2. Complete a voter registration card or an online application.
3. Vote your ballot at your county elections office, vote center, or polling place.
4. Once the county elections official processes your registration, you are registered to vote and your ballot will be counted.

How do I know if my ballot has been mailed?

Voters can check their registration status and track their ballots as they move through the steps of printing, assembly, delivery, and processing, using the Voter Portal.

Voters can also choose to receive automatic notifications on the status or their ballots via email, SMS (text), or voice call.

What do I do if I didn’t get my ballot in the mail?

You can go to their county’s registrar’s office or any voting center to get a provisional ballot and vote that way.

How much postage is needed to mail back my ballot?

No postage needed! Postage for vote-by-mail envelopes is pre-paid by the county and free for all voters in California.

My ballot is damaged or lost. How can I get a replacement ballot?

Prior to 6 days before the election, go to the Voter Portal or call (415) 554-4375 to request a mailed replacement ballot. Within 6 days of the election, contact the Election’s Department as soon as possible to review your options: call (415) 554-4375 or email sfvote@sfgov.org.

Can I get time off from work to vote?

All employees are eligible for paid time off for the purpose of voting if they do not have enough time outside of working hours to vote. Employees can be given as much time as they need in order to vote, but only a maximum of two hours is paid. Employers may require employees to give advance notice that they will need additional time off for voting. Employers may require time off to be taken only at the beginning or end of the employee’s shift.

Contact the Election’s Department with any questions:

Department of Elections
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
City Hall, Room 48
San Francisco, CA 94102
(Get Directions)

Hours: Monday – Friday
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Email: SFVote@sfgov.org
Phone: (415) 554-4375
Fax: (415) 554-7344
TTY: (415) 554-4386
中文: (415) 554-4367
Español: (415) 554-4366
Filipino: (415) 554-4310