San Mateo County Press Release

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder-Elections

Contact:
Warren Slocum
Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Phone: (650) 363-4988 Fax: (650) 363-1903 E-mail: wslocum@smcare.org
Web: www.shapethefuture.org www.smcare.org

Alternate: David Tom, Phone: 650.312.5222 E-mail: dtom@smcare.org

Sample Ballots Arriving Soon in San Mateo County Mailboxes

Eight colors – Seven partisan options

REDWOOD CITY, CA—“The Sample Ballots & Official Voter Information Pamphlets will begin to be mailed May 1st to all 348,953 San Mateo County voters,” said Warren Slocum, Chief Elections Officer for San Mateo County. Every voter will receive their own personal copy for the June 6th Gubernatorial Primary.  

There are a total of 726 different versions of the June ballot.  State and federal laws created to protect civil rights, ensure fairness, and offer voters more choice have added to the complexity of creating election materials for voters.  The versions are the product of an individual’s  political, partisan (or non-partisan and non-partisans voting one of the three approved partisan ballots--American Independent, Democrat and Republican), language choices (English, Spanish and Chinese) and the rotation of state and federal candidate names that appear on the ballot. 

"The Sample Ballot mailing is a rainbow of colors – the colors reflect the voter’s partisan affiliation,” explained Slocum.  “The Secretary of State’s Office issued a specific color for each party and the decline-to-states. For example—Republicans are red, Democrats are yellow, American Independents are brown, etc.  “If you receive a different color Sample Ballot than your spouse, that’s why,” said Slocum.  The official color scheme from the Secretary’s Office is:

The San Mateo County Sample Ballot & Official Voter Pamphlet publication contains helpful a sample ballot, voter information and resources, poll worker sign-up opportunities, Universal Voting Center locations and schedules and candidate statements.  “We encourage voters to review the materials, make their choices and use it as a reference guide,” said Slocum.

One important note is that not every candidate is listed in the publication.  Local candidates may publish a 200-word statement if they choose to place (purchases) it; candidates seeking a state office may publish a statement if the candidate places (purchases) the 200-word statement AND adheres to the spending limits established by the Legislature. 

“Candidate statements help voters make judgments about who and what to vote for; we print the information that we receive just as we receive it,” said Slocum. “The Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet is an excellent source for fair, free, in-depth information on the issues and candidates for citizens.  We also publish this information online at the Elections website, www.shapethefuture.org.”

Visually impaired voters can request a copy of the county Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Guide on audio tape. “As a practice, we make voting as accessible as possible so that everyone has a voice in the democratic process,” said Slocum.

In addition to the county’s Sample Ballot, voters can expect to receive that State Voter Information Guide as well. One State Voter Information Guide will be sent to each household. Additional information on statewide candidates and measures can be found at the Secretary of State's web site, www.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 e-mail registrar@smcare.org.