Contact:
Warren Slocum, Chief Elections Officer
Phone: (650) 363-4988 E-mail: wslocum@smcare.org

Aternate:
David Tom, Elections Manager
Phone: (650) 312-5222 E-mail: dtom@smcare.org

Chief Elections Officer Gives Voters Practical Election Day Advice
A few minutes of preparation will make for a smoother voting experience

Redwood City, CA – San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum is encouraging voters to do five things before heading to the polls on Tuesday to vote in the Presidential Primary:

1. Verify their voter registration,
2. Confirm their polling place address,
3. Make sure they know how to vote,
4. Know what’s on the ballot, and
5. Bring identification if they are a first-time voter.

“We want voters to be pro-active,” Slocum said. “If voters take a few minutes to verify their information and learn how to cast a ballot, polling place operations will run more smoothly, every vote will count and we can limit confusion, long lines and errors.”

Verify voter registration
Voters should make sure they are registered to vote before heading to the polls. Voters can verify their registration status at www.shapethefuture.org/voters/voter_status.asp by entering the number of their residence address, their zip code, and their birth date. They can also verify their status by calling (650) 312-5222 or emailing registrar@smcare.org.

Confirm polling place address
In order to meet accessibility requirements, as well as power and space requirements for our eSlate electronic voting machines, more than 60 polling locations were changed before the Nov. 2007 election and may come as surprise to many voters. Voters should check their polling place location before heading out to vote. There are three ways to check:

• The back cover of the Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Guide mailed to voters
• The “Find My Ballot” feature on the home page of Smart Voter, the Web site of the League of Women Voters, at www.smartvoter.org
• Follow the online voter registration verification steps above at www.shapethefuture.org/voters/voter_status.asp. Polling place information is also displayed when registration is verified
  

Voters who can not locate their polling place on Election Day can get live assistance from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. by calling (650) 312-5222.

Know how to vote
On Election Day, voters can choose to vote on an electronic eSlate or a paper ballot.

Voters who choose to vote on the eSlate voting system can find instructions in their Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Guide or on our eSlate Learning Center at www.shapethefuture.org/eslate/index.html. Instruction cards will also be available at the polls, and poll workers can provide additional assistance. eSlate voters are asked to remember to verify their vote by comparing their printed paper record with their onscreen summary.

Voters are also reminded that they don’t have to mark every contest to vote.

“Voters may pick and choose which contests they wish to vote in,” Slocum said. “Your vote is secret and no one will ever know how many contests you voted in or who and what you voted for. Vote for the candidates and issues that matter to you.”

Know what’s on the ballot
The Feb. 5 ballot features presidential primary candidates (except for those choosing to vote nonpartisan ballots) and seven statewide propositions. Four local measures – in San Mateo County Service Area 1, the Sequoia Union High School District, the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District and the Ravenswood City School District – will also appear for voters residing in those jurisdictions.

“Come prepared—do your homework!” Slocum said. “Mark your sample ballot and bring it to the polls with you. It will save you time and shorten the wait for your fellow citizens.”

A number of excellent nonpartisan resources are available to help voters make informed choices. We recommend:

• The Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Guide – mailed to voters and also available at www.shapethefuture.org/elections/feb2008/ballot_feb08.asp
• The Secretary of State’s Official Voter Information Guide – mailed to voting households and also available at http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/
• The Easy Voter Guide – available at www.easyvoter.org
• Smart Voter, from the League of Women Voters – available at www.smartvoter.org

Bring identification (for first-time voters only)
In accordance with California law, first-time voters will be required to show identification at their polling place on Election Day. There are 30 acceptable forms of identification, which include a driver’s license, state identification card, passport, a student ID, a government-issued check or a utility bill that shows a voter’s name and address.

For additional assistance, voters may go to www.shapethefuture.org, call (650) 312-5222, email registrar@smcare.org or visit our office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo or 555 County Center in Redwood City.