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

For Immediate Release
SAN FRANCISCO, Tuesday, October 25, 2022 – In the last week of the voting period, between November 1 and November 8, the Department of Elections will provide emergency ballot delivery and pickup service to homebound and hospitalized residents who have yet to vote.  

For the November 8 Election, personnel at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and the UCSF Emergency Department will partner with the Department to expand ballot delivery to patients in emergency rooms.

 “Our ballot delivery and pickup program is a vital service for local voters who are hospitalized or otherwise unable to travel to in-person voting sites, and those who need assistance with returning their mailed ballots,” said Director John Arntz. “We are fortunate to collaborate with many local health partners to inform voters admitted to local care facilities about the availability of this service. New for this election, we will also work closely with Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine and the UCSF Emergency Department to provide this service to those admitted to emergency rooms on Election Day.” 

“We look forward to providing all our patients a mechanism by which they can exercise their right to vote even when their circumstances inhibit their ability to do so,” said Dr. Malini Singh, Vice Chief of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. “We are proud to be able to be part of this outreach program.”

Earlier this month, as part of its outreach program regarding accessible voting options, Department of Elections personnel hand-delivered informational packets to local hospitals, nursing homes, convalescent homes, and many other care facilities. Each packet included a letter describing San Francisco’s accessible voting services, including the accessible vote-by-mail system, third-party ballot pickup and return options, and emergency ballot delivery and pickup service for those unable to travel.

Any San Francisco resident who is hospitalized or otherwise unable to travel in the last week of the voting period, November 1 – 8, can request emergency ballot delivery and/or pickup by calling the Department of Elections at (415) 554-4375 or emailing sfvote@sfgov.org.

All Department of Elections staff involved in ballot deliveries are trained to respect voter privacy, uphold the right to cast a secret ballot, and offer translation assistance.

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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
TTY: (415) 554-4386
sfelections.org