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

lternate:
David Tom
Phone: (650) 312.5222 E-mail: dtom@smcare.org

Ballots Hit Voters’ Mailboxes This Week for Two All-Mail Elections Scheduled for May 8th

(Redwood City) –Election materials are landing in mailboxes in the communities of Millbrae and Pacifica who have special All-Mail Elections set for May 8th.  Voters will be deciding whether to approve a parcel tax that would help fund each district. Parcel tax measures require a 2/3rds vote of approval for passage.

All voters will receive the Voter Pamphlet with the text of the measure, the Official Ballot and a return envelope that they can use to mail their voted ballot back to the Elections Office.  Because the May 8th Election is an All-Mail Election, Chief Elections Officer for the County of San Mateo urges voters in this district to, "Keep a lookout for the election materials in your mailbox and return them promptly.” 

Voting officially commenced on April 9th, and, although the last day to vote is May 8th, voters are encouraged to mail the ballots back by May 2nd.  Voted ballots must be received by the Elections Office by 8:00pm on May 8th or the ballots cannot be legally counted. No polling locations will be open for voting on Election Day.

“We encourage voters to mail their ballots back by May 2nd,” Slocum said.   “Voters may also drop off their voted ballot at the Elections Office during regular business hours—8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday — at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo. As required by law, voters may cast a ballot in person using the County’s new ADA compliant electronic voting machines during this time. The office will also be open for voting on Election Day starting at 7:00 am and ending at 8:00 pm.“

Pacifica School District voters can drop off their voted ballot at the Pacifica Library during their regular library hours; the library is located at 1111 Terra Nova Blvd.

Millbrae Elementary School District voters can drop off their voted ballot at Millbrae City Hall, located at 621 Magnolia, during regular business hours or at the Millbrae Library, located at 1 Library Avenue, during regular library hours through May 8th.

“It’s very important to note that the last day (for new voters or voters that have recently moved into the district) to register and vote in this election is April 23rd,” Slocum said.

If a ballot is misplaced, spoiled, or accidentally discarded, voters may obtain a replacement ballot by returning the spoiled ballot following the instructions on the Voter Pamphlet, or contacting the Elections Division at (650) 312-5222 for further details.  To lessen the chances of a ballot being misplaced or lost, voters are urged to mail their ballots as soon as possible.

When asked about All-Mail Elections, Slocum, an advocate of voting by mail said, “Holding an All-Mail Election is actually easier to conduct because there is no polling operation to organize and the voting process is identical to that of the Absentee voting process which is done for every election anyway."

All-Mail Elections are rare in this County’s history. However, voting by mail has become increasingly more popular with each election. In both of the 2006 Gubernatorial Elections, half of the ballots came from Absentee voters; that was the most ever returned by mail in San Mateo County.  Statewide, the Absentee vote in the June Primary made up 47% of the total vote and in the November General it comprised 42%.

For more information on Measure R (Millbrae) and Measure Q (Pacifica) and the upcoming All-Mail Elections on May 8th Special Elections, citizens may go online at www.shapethefuture.org or contact the Elections Division at (650) 312-5222.