Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org

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SAN FRANCISCO ANNOUNCES EFFORTS IN PLACE TO HELP RESIDENTS VOTE SAFELY IN NOVEMBER ELECTION

Early voting in San Francisco will begin on October 5, with several options for voting including 588 polling places, ballot drop boxes, and a Voting Center in Civic Center

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today announced how San Franciscans can vote safely in the November 3, 2020 election and encouraged residents to have a plan for voting. Mayor Breed, the Department of Elections, and community leaders held a press conference today at San Francisco’s outdoor Voting Center, located at 99 Grove Street, in front of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The Voting Center is one of more than 588 locations in San Francisco where people can vote in the upcoming election.

“We want everyone to feel comfortable voting this November, which is why we have adapted our Voting Center and polling places to make sure San Franciscans still have a safe and accessible place to cast their ballot,” said Mayor Breed. “While voting in the November election will look mostly the same to voters as in years past, there are some differences because of this pandemic. First is the outdoor voting center on Civic Center Plaza instead of inside City Hall. Second, all registered voters will receive ballots in the mail, not just those who request them.  But what hasn’t changed is that every vote matters. Make your plan now for making sure your ballot gets in on time and is counted. And for those who haven’t registered yet, you can register now online or at our Voting Center. So many have given so much to ensure that we all have the right to vote, so let’s do our part by voting this November.”

“If you vote early in person or by mail, you will avoid possible wait times and crowded public spaces, and your ballot will be reviewed and counted well before Election Day,” said John Arntz, Director, Department of Elections. “Voters can track the status of their ballots using the Voter Portal on the Department’s website and know when their ballots are counted.”

All registered voters in San Francisco and California will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2020 election, and should expect to receive their ballot in the mail the week of October 5. The deadline to register to vote is October 19, 2020. Register to vote online or in person at the Voting Center. Those who miss the voter registration deadline but are still eligible can visit the Voting Center or a polling place to register and cast a provisional ballot.

Over the last few months, the Department of Elections has been working diligently to safely reach voters and potential registrants with a wide range of multilingual, multi-format informational resources about the November 3 election. In collaboration with its non-profit outreach partners and City agencies, the Department is distributing digital presentations and print materials designed to inform all residents, including members of the City’s vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, about upcoming election dates and deadlines, vote by mail, and the new health and safety protocols implemented at in-person voting sites. The Department of Elections has also been informing the public about the November 3 election through several informational mailings, digital notices, and Public Service Announcements.  

There are several ways to vote in the election:

–          By Mail – This is the safest way to vote. The Department of Elections recommends voters return their ballots using a United States Postal Service blue mail collection box. The USPS provides nearly 1,400 collection boxes in the City. Find your nearest mail box here.

–          At the Voting Center – October 5 through November 3, and open weekends starting October 24.

–          At a Polling Place on Election Day. There are 588 polling places in San Francisco. Find your polling places on San Francisco’s Voter Portal. 

–          At Ballot Drop-Off Sites – Starting October 5 and through November 3, voters can drop-off ballots at the Voting Center.

o   Starting October 31 and through November 3, the Department will provide drop-off sites at the Chase Center, Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton Library, Excelsior Library, and Portsmouth Square.

–          Accessible Vote-by-Mail System – allows voters to mark screen-readable vote-by-mail ballots using common internet-connected devices. After marking an AVBM ballot, a voter must download and print the ballot and return the ballot printout by mail or in person in a timely manner, just as vote-by-mail voters who use official paper ballots must do.

–          Authorizing another person to pick up your ballot – Beginning October 5, any registered voter may authorize a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, or person residing in their household to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot from the Voting Center and deliver it to them, provided the authorized person is at least 16 years old.

Health and Safety Measures

In compliance with current guidance from public health officials, the Department of Elections has adopted several new health and safety protocols at its in-person voting locations. The Department will offer hand sanitizer, gloves, and facemasks to all voters and post notices asking voters and observers to observe health guidelines, including those regarding facial coverings, hand hygiene, and social distancing rules, at all in-person voting locations.

The Department will also introduce new sanitation and disinfection protocols for the voting supplies and equipment used at all in-person voting locations. The Voting Center and 588 polling places will be set up to maintain 6 foot distances between people in line, computer workstations, voting booths, and ballot return boxes. Although all voters will receive ballots by mail, voters can still use in-person services at the Voting Center or polling places. San Franciscans are reminded to wear a face covering when voting in person or dropping off their ballot to protect public health.

Voting Center

The Voting Center will provide ballots and services to all City residents who wish to pick up or drop off vote-by-mail ballots, register to vote (before or after the registration deadline), obtain personal assistance, use accessible voting equipment, obtain replacement ballots, or cast their ballots in person.

To protect the health of voters wishing to obtain in-person voting services during the 29-day early voting period, the Voting Center will be set up in the area outside of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on 99 Grove Street, between Polk and Larkin Streets.

The Voting Center will be open during the 29-day early voting period during these times:

• Every weekday, October 5 through November 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Two weekends, October 24 and 25, and October 31 and November 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (same voting hours as polling places).

To make their voting experience faster and safer, voters can use the Voting Locations and Wait Times Tool to check wait times at the Voting Center as they are planning their trip. With early voting opportunities available 29 days before Election Day, San Francisco encourages residents to vote as early as possible.

The Voting Center will also offer accessible voting tools such as page magnifiers, pen grips, and seated voting, as well as accessible ballot-marking devices with touchscreen/audio format and personal assistive device compatibility. Any voter may request to vote “curbside” at the Voting Center by calling (415) 554-4375 or by asking a companion to enter the voting center to request delivery of voting materials to the voter.

“By voting, we voice out our opinions; we choose the person to represent us; we give the direction for our country!” said George Chan, Executive Director, Chinese Newcomers Service Center. “Please register now and vote in November.”

“This year, your vote will be one of the most important decisions you make. So get educated. Make a plan. And vote,” said Jackie Flin, Executive Director, A. Phillip Randolph Institute San Francisco.

General Voting Information

San Franciscans can review their registration information, find their polling place, track their ballot, and more, using San Francisco’s Voter Portal. For more information, go to https://sfelections.sfgov.org/. 

For questions, email: SFVote@sfgov.org or reach the Department of Elections by phone: 

English: (415) 554-4375
TTY: (415) 554-4386

中文: (415) 554-4367
Español: (415) 554-4366
Filipino: (415) 554-4310

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Contact: Mayor’s Office of Communications, mayorspressoffice@sfgov.org  

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SAN FRANCISCO TO MOVE FORWARD WITH REOPENING MORE BUSINESSES AND ACTIVITIES ON SEPTEMBER 30

Now that San Francisco is assigned to the State’s Orange tier, the City will move forward on reopening indoor restaurants and places of worship, and other activities including plans for outdoor family entertainment, playgrounds and indoor movie theaters

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed, Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax, and Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu, co-Chair of the City’s Economic Recovery Task Force, today announced San Francisco will move forward with indoor dining and places of worship at 25% capacity up to 100 people starting on Wednesday, September 30. In addition, San Francisco will expand the capacity of outdoor places of worship, outdoor political demonstrations, and indoor malls, and will reopen additional family entertainment, hotel fitness centers, and more. These next steps come as the State assigned San Francisco to Orange on its tiered reopening system, based on San Francisco’s COVID-19 infection and case rate.

San Francisco has also set a timeline for opening indoor movie theaters and outdoor playgrounds. Indoor movie theaters are slated to reopen at a limited capacity and with modifications on Wednesday, October 7, and public outdoor playgrounds are planned to open in mid-October, now that State restrictions have eased.

“We know this continues to be a challenging time with people struggling economically and emotionally. However, thanks to San Francisco’s commitment to following public health guidance, we are seeing improvements in our numbers, which means we can continue to move forward with reopening,” said Mayor Breed. “Reopening indoor restaurants and houses of worship with limited capacity, and creating opportunities for families to safely enjoy outdoor entertainment are a good step on our road to recovery. We are committed to following the data and continuing reopening once our local health indicators demonstrate it is safe to do so. That said, the last thing we want to see is a spike in cases and a need to roll back all the progress we’ve made, so we all need to do our part. Please continue to follow the public health guidelines and participate in these activities responsibly so we can continue to move forward together.”

“This latest round of activities and re-openings is a result of the dedication and commitment of our residents and businesses. Our actions to limit the spread of the virus continue to pay off,” said Dr. Grant Colfax. “Since we came off the state watch list Sept. 1, we have kept a steady and gradual pace of reopening — from after school programs and in-classroom learning to indoor personal services and restaurants. We want this to continue and we do not want any setbacks, so we will keep reminding the public to be diligent and wear a mask, physically distance and wash your hands.”

“Growing up I spent many weekends bussing and waiting on tables at our family restaurant. Today, I’m especially excited to see restaurants reopen indoor to create a lifeline during the colder fall and winter months,” said Assessor Carmen Chu, Co-chair of the Economic Recovery Task Force. “Together our actions got us to ‘orange’ so let’s keep it going. Let’s keep taking precautions to keep our workers and families safe.”

“San Francisco’s world class restaurants create vibrant spaces for culture and community to thrive and remain absolutely vital to our economic recovery. They draw visitors from across the Bay and the globe, employ tens of thousands of diverse San Franciscans and generate billions in taxable sales,” said Joaquín Torres, Director of Economic and Workforce Development. “Even as the crisis has impacted their industry, they’ve been persistently innovative to serve all of us, supporting their workers and those most vulnerable in our communities. Doing business indoors couldn’t come at a better time as we approach the colder months, but we must do so safely. Keep your mask on when you are talking, especially to restaurant staff. This will allow us to stay safe and do what we do better than any other City, eat out often.” 

Tomorrow, the San Francisco Department of Public Health will issue final health and safety guidelines for indoor dining, places of worship, and other activities to ensure the safest reopening possible. On Thursday, September 24, the Department of Public Health provided restaurants and places of worship with preliminary guidance to safely reopen with limited capacity and other modifications in place.

The reopening of businesses and activities will increase travel and interaction throughout the city, which means increasing community spread of the virus and an increase in cases. Public health officials will regularly assess the Key Public Health Indicators, particularly new positive case counts and hospitalizations to ensure San Francisco has the necessary resources available for those who contract COVID-19.

While San Francisco recognizes the State’s thresholds, the City will continue on a reopening path based on its local health indicators and unique challenges and successes of our local reopening. San Francisco’s reopening plan is available online at SF.gov/reopening. Reopening is dependent upon San Francisco’s Health indicators remaining stable or improving, and the plan is subject to change. Although additional indoor activities are being allowed, it is important to remember that outdoor options remain safer. Seniors and those with COVID-19 risk factors should avoid indoor crowds. All San Franciscans must do their part to limit the spread of COVID-19, including face masking, social distancing, and handwashing.

Indoor Dining

Starting on Wednesday, September 30, restaurants and bars serving meals can reopen for indoor dining at 25% capacity, up to 100 people. Safety requirements for indoor dining are similar to the existing guidelines for outdoor dining. Face coverings must be worn by personnel and patrons at all times except when the patron is eating or drinking. That includes customers wearing a face covering when ordering, waiting for their order to arrive, or anytime staff is at their table. Restaurants are encouraged to use reservations to help ensure compliance with capacity limits. Under the new health guidance, restaurants must conduct a health check of patrons before they are seated. The health check requirement applies to both indoor and outdoor dining. Additional requirements and guidelines are available online here.

Places of Worship

Starting on Wednesday, September 30, places of worship can open indoors at 25% capacity, up to 100 people. Outdoor worship services will continue, now with up to 200 people, as long as there is sufficient space to allow for social distancing. Singing or chanting is not allowed indoors since choirs and singing indoors is a known source of COVID-19 spread. The place of worship must conduct a health check of patrons before they enter the facility. Face coverings are required at all times except for brief removal to consume food or drink if it is essential to a ritual or ceremony. Additional requirements and guidelines are available online here.

Additional Activities Resuming September 30^th

In addition to indoor dining and places of worship, San Francisco is moving forward on reopening or expanding the following activities on September 30^th:

• Outdoor political demonstrations may continue, now with up to 200 people, as long as there is sufficient space to allow for social distancing and everyone wears a face covering.
• Indoor classes for higher education and vocational programs that require specialized equipment that cannot move outside are allowed with modifications and capacity limits in place.
• Some additional family entertainment, including outdoor children’s carousels, miniature trains, and Ferris wheels, like the Observation Wheel in Golden Gate Park, with specified safety precautions.  
  • The Observation Wheel is currently under construction and is expected to open by the end of October.
• Fitness centers located within hotels and lodging establishments up to 10% capacity with staff monitoring.
• Indoor shopping centers and malls with 50% capacity, upon approval of an updated health and safety plan.
  • Indoor food courts may reopen following guidelines for indoor dining.

GOAL: early October – Indoor Movie Theaters and Outdoor Playgrounds

• The Department of Public Health plans to issue directives and guidance to allow indoor movie theaters to open on October 7, if San Francisco remains assigned to the Orange tier. At that time, movie theaters can reopen with 25% capacity up to 100 people, and with no concessions sold, or outside food or drink consumed.
• Now that the State has changed its guidance to allow outdoor children’s playgrounds operated by government agencies to operate, and if San Francisco remains assigned to the Orange tier, the Department of Public Health will issue a directive and guidance to allow outdoor playgrounds to reopen. San Francisco anticipates this change will occur by October 14.

“We are thrilled to welcome families back to our playgrounds, centers of neighborhood joy and connection that have been sorely missed, particularly in our low income and high density neighborhoods,” said San Francisco Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg. “Opening the Observation Wheel for Golden Gate Park’s 150^th anniversary is a tribute to the resilience of San Franciscans, who have found healing and happiness in our parks throughout our history. The Wheel is a symbol of hope and celebration that connects our past with our future.”

Reopening of Schools – Ongoing

As state and local COVID-19 indicators permit, San Francisco schools may now resume in-person learning with approved safety plans in place. San Francisco’s approach to the reopening process for San Francisco TK-12 schools (transitional kindergarten through 12th grade) prioritizes the reopening of younger grades for in-person learning this fall. As many as 106 private, parochial or charters schools have requested applications for in-person learning this fall. Almost 60 schools have submitted applications and 20 schools have been approved for re-opening. The applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis. Elementary schools are reopening first, followed by middle schools, and then high schools.

All San Francisco schools must meet minimum standards required by the state and DPH before resuming in-person learning. This includes providing detailed plans on how they will ensure adequate testing and contact tracing for their staff and students. Schools will work with DPH to meet all the requirements for the safest re-opening. The school re-opening dashboard identifies the schools that have begun this process by sending an initial letter of interest to DPH to reopen, and shows where each school is in the approval process, including completion of an on-site assessment.