Department of Elections
City and County of San Francisco
John Arntz, Director

For Immediate Release

SAN FRANCISCO, Tuesday, October 11, 2022 – Today, the Department of Elections delivered nearly 500 vote-by-mail ballot packets for the November 8 election to the Sheriff’s Prisoner Legal Services.  The Prisoner Legal Services Unit will distribute these vote-by-mail ballot packets to the registered voters currently incarcerated in San Francisco county jails. The Department of Elections will also collaborate with Prisoner Legal Services in providing individuals in jails with access to voter outreach and informational materials such as the local and state voter guides, and voter registration forms.   

“The Department of Elections and the Sheriff’s Prisoner Legal Services team have partnered for many years in providing voter registration and voting services to people experiencing incarceration,” said Director John Arntz. “Our close collaboration ensures the fundamental right to vote for those who are eligible during the time they are incarcerated.“

“Through our Incarcerated Voter Program, the SFSO has long been a leader in providing every eligible incarcerated person with an opportunity to vote,” said Sheriff Paul Miyamoto. “This important program requires a great deal of work and would not be possible without the dedicated efforts of our Prisoner Legal Services team, the partnership of the San Francisco Department of Elections, and the support of our sworn and professional staff.”

Prior to each election, personnel from the Department and Prisoner Legal Services consistently partner on registering people to vote and providing ballots and other election materials to those who are in jails.  Prisoner Legal Services also provides updates on who has been released so that the Department can issue ballots to those individuals using their last registered address on file. Department personnel also collaborate with Prisoner Legal Services’ staff to organize several pick-ups of voted ballots that are then securely transported to the Department of Elections for processing.

Department of Elections personnel also coordinate with Prisoner Legal Services staff to distribute My Ballot Status notices to voters in jails. Each of these notices indicates that the recipient’s ballot was received and counted by the Department of Elections. If the ballot was challenged (e.g., for a missing signature), the notice explains how the recipient can resolve the challenge so that the ballot can be counted.

 

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Department of Elections
City and County of San Francisco
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
City Hall, Room 48
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-4375
sfelections.org