Supplies are being distributed to Field Techs, back up Election Officers are being secured for the polls, and final training for the Election Day call center was conducted. Election Materials Courier routes are finalized, and assignments have been distributed to all participants in the process.

At 5 a.m. tomorrow, the Elections Office will awaken to the dawn of Election #82. Because polls open at 7 a.m., the Elections office prepares for incoming calls from Election Officers prepping polling locations as early as 6 a.m. The call center and election officer/polling place units are the first teams on site to handle Election Day issues and concerns.

Throughout Election Day, the Olympus machine will be abuzz with ballot envelopes being opened and prepared for tabulation.

Once 8 p.m. hits, and the polls close, it will be time for the Election Material Courier teams to visit each precinct and pick up the Red Supply Case, Blue Ballot Box, and White JBC Box for return to 40 Tower Road in San Mateo. At the Elections Office, teams will be waiting to accept the materials from the couriers, and put them through our end of night process. This process includes scanning incoming materials, disassembling equipment to remove the electronic card that contains voting data for tabulation, placing materials on a grid inside our warehouse, and finally downloading results from the electronic cards inside our secured Tally Room.

The day before Election Day is always a busy day…in some ways even busier than Election Day. Tomorrow, there is no more room for changes or edits to a process. Everything must be done today in order for tomorrow to run smoothly.

Here’s the actual text from the petition:

ELECTION DAY HOLIDAY. INITIATIVE STATUTE, Declares a state holiday on
Election Day – the Tuesday following the first Monday in November during men-numbered
years. Sum- of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on
state and local government: Increased state costs once every two years of up to $20 miIlion.
(Initiative 08-001 3.)

Want to learn more about the initiative process?  Check out this link from the CA Secretary of State’s website!

If you’re looking for results, go to RaceTracker at http://www.shapethefuture.org/elections/results/november2008. We’ll be posting updates to the results as we wrap up ballot processing, and certification of results will come within the next 28 days.

But that’s all part of the Canvass, which we’ll discuss in a bit!

In the meantime:

]]> http://insideelections.shapethefuture.org/2008/11/05/the-day-after/feed/ 0 kriselle img_0015 img_0033 img_0046 img_0066 img_0082 img_0139 http://insideelections.shapethefuture.org/2008/06/03/the-polls-are-now-open/ http://insideelections.shapethefuture.org/2008/06/03/the-polls-are-now-open/#comments Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:18:16 +0000 Kriselle Laran http://insideelections.wordpress.com/?p=338 ]]> San Mateo County polls opened this morning for the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election. Before you head out to vote, make sure to follow the steps we outlined in yesterday’s post!

Checking your polling place location can save a lot of hassle in the end. There are several polling locations that changed for this Election, so it’s important to verify where you’re supposed to be voting.

If you’re near San Mateo or Redwood City and don’t have time to get to your own precinct, come to one of the Universal Voting Centers. Located at 555 County Center in Redwood City and 40 Tower Road in San Mateo, the Universal Voting Centers can accommodate any San Mateo County voter from any San Mateo County precinct.

For example, if I am normally vote at precinct #1234 but I can only get to the 555 County Center voting location before 8pm, I would simply give my information to the helpful poll worker. The poll worker would in turn give me an access code to the eSlates that allowed me to vote the ballot options for precinct #1234.

If Jane Smith was from precinct #5678, and went to 555 County Center also, her access code would allow her to vote for the ballot options for precinct #5678.

Get to the polls today to vote! They’re open until 8 p.m. After that, check out the election results on our Results Portal!

By now, you’ve probably already made sure that you’re registered to vote. You can verify your registration status by visiting our website at www.shapethefuture.org.

Second, confirm your polling place address! Polling places can and do change periodically, so make sure you know where you’re supposed to go before you head out. There are three ways to check your polling place location:

• 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.

Third, make sure you know how and what to vote. The “how” is easy. Our website has a microsite dedicated to instructing the public on the eSlate electronic voting machines. This history of the machines, step by step instructions on how to vote on them, and a short video presentation are all available online to help you understand the eSlates. You can visit www.shapethefuture.org/eslate to check out the microsite.

If you don’t want to vote on the eSlate, vote paper. Paper ballots will be available at the polling places, and Vote by Mail ballots will be accepted at the polling place if you didn’t have time to mail it before.

“We want voters to be pro-active,” said San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum. “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.”

The “what” part of this third step is a little more involved. The Sample Ballot you received in the mail has information about the propositions and measures applicable to your voting precinct. If you can’t find your Sample Ballot, we also have them posted online at http://www.shapethefuture.org/elections/June2008/eng_sampleballots.asp. A number of excellent nonpartisan resources are available to help voters make informed choices. We recommend:

• The Secretary of State’s Official Voter Information Guide – voterguide.sos.ca.gov
• The Easy Voter Guide – www.easyvoter.org
• Smart Voter, from the League of Women Voters – www.smartvoter.org

Take time to read your options and cast an informed vote. Don’t forget – you don’t have to mark every contest to vote.

“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.”

Last tip – bring identification if you’re a first-time voter. In accordance with California law, first-time voters will be required to show identification at the polling place on Election Day. There are 30 acceptable forms of identification, which are listed on the Elections website at www.shapethefuture.org/elections/law_changes.asp.

Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to visit www.shapethefuture.org for answers, or contact us directly at (650) 312-5222 or registrar@smcare.org.

With 90 degree or higher temperatures, it is hard to think of anything but enjoying the weekend posted in front of an air conditioner or outdoors beneath the blazing sun at one of the many events going on around the Peninsula.

Between San Carlos’ Hometown Days, Burlingame ‘s Day on the Green, San Mateo’s Immigrant Day Festival, and Bay to Breakers, there is definitely no shortage of activities for this weekend. But don’t let the excitement of the weekend cause you to forget about a very important deadline coming up on Monday.

Monday, May 19, marks the last day to register or re-register to vote in the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary Election. If you are a new voter, have moved, changed your name, or wish to change your party affiliation, now is the time to register to vote.

Want to check your voter registration status? Visit the Elections Office website at http://www.shapethefuture.org/voters/voter_status.asp. The registration status page will tell you whether or not you are registered to vote, and if you are, will tell you where your polling place is located. Keep in mind, however, that polling place locations are selected about 40 days before each election. They may change even as late as up to the day of the election. Please check the site again before going to the polls. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

In addition to online training registration and schedule availability, various handbooks are available such as the Election Officer Handbook, eSlate Operations Guide, and the Opening and Closing flip books. Past issues of the POLLcat, the Poll Worker newsletter that includes news and event information as well as useful operations tips, can also be found on the Poll Worker resource page.

Other information available online includes candidate guidelines, political party descriptions, sample ballot and voter information pamphlets, and voter registration options.

We know it’s a long day, but your help is essential in maintaining the integrity of the San Mateo County elections process.  Being a part of the elections process has made some great memories for some of our current poll workers.  Share the experience by inviting a friend or family member to join you on Election Day!

There are a couple ways to register: 1) go online to www.shapethefuture.org, 2) call 650-286-2810, or 3) send an email to pollworkertraining@smcare.org.

Understanding your voting options can be hard enough during a regular election, but a Special Congressional Open Primary can be even more confusing. We want to make sure you’re prepared when you head to the polls tomorrow. Remember … smooth voting takes preparation.

Verify your registration status for voting in this election by visiting the San Mateo County Elections website. The deadline to register to vote in the April 8 Special Congressional Open Primary was March 24.

While you’re online, confirm your polling place! Over 60 locations were changed prior to the Nov. 2007 election in order to comply with accessibility, electrical and space requirements. If you can’t make it to our website, check the back cover of your Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet. You can also find polling place info at the League of Women Voters website.

Brush up on how to vote. Instructions on how to use the eSlate voting machine can be found online, in the Sample Ballot & Official Voter Information Pamphlet, and at the polling place.

“This is a perfect opportunity for voters who have never voted on the eSlate voting system to do so!” said Slocum. “With only one contest on the ballot in the Special Congressional Open Primary Election, it takes very little time to vote. Voters who haven’t tried the eSlates as yet, will discover just how easy it is to use but shouldn’t hesitate asking for help if they need it,” Slocum said. “Our poll workers are more than happy to help!”

When you head to the polls, bring ID if you are a first-time voter. Over 30 forms of id will be accepted, including a driver’s license, state identification card, passport, student ID, government-issued check, or utility bill showing your name and address.

If you are a Vote by Mail voter, and you haven’t mailed in your ballot, plan to drop off your Vote by Mail ballot at the Elections Office or any polling place in San Mateo County within the 12th Congressional District. We can’t count your vote if it isn’t in on time, so drop it off in person at any of the following locations by 8 p.m. on Election Day:

• The Elections Office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo or 555 County Center in Redwood City,
• Any city hall in San Mateo County within the 12th Congressional District during normal business hours, or
• Any San Mateo County polling place within the 12th Congressional District on Election Day, between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. It doesn’t even have to be in your home precinct.

Postmarks don’t count!

And don’t forget – Special Open Primaries are different from other elections. All candidates will appear on one ballot, so you can vote for whomever you want (out of the five candidates) regardless of your party affiliation. If one of the candidates receives a majority vote, that person will remain in the seat for the remainder of the current unexpired term of office, ending on January 3, 2009.

If there is no majority winner, the candidates from each party with the highest number of voters will be listed on the ballot for the June 3, 2008 Statewide Direct Primary Election.

Still unsure about how this all works? Visit our website to read more about the April 8, 2008 Special Congressional Open Primary, and how to vote.

It may have something to do with the fact that nearly 37 percent of our voters Vote by Mail permanently, and many more requested Vote by Mail ballots for this election only.

Nevertheless, there has been a steady stream of voters coming in and out of polling places everywhere. At many moments, all the eSlate voting booths in a precinct were occupied.

“It’s been steady all day, but nothing overwhelming,” said Fern Lucero, a poll worker at First Presbyterian Church in Burlingame.

So we’ll let you be the judge as the minutes whittle down to the close of the polls. In the meantime, we’ve got some pictures and some thoughts from some poll workers to keep you busy until the results start coming in at 8:05 p.m.

At Woodrow Wilson Elementary School in Daly City:

“So far, we have more people that came than during all of November, and it’s only 9:15.” – Hugo Palacios, poll worker at Woodrow Wilson.

At Spruce Elementary School in South San Francisco:

“I like this. I could do this all the time.” – Amanda Dougherty, student poll worker at Spruce Elementary.

More to come; off to catch the last half-hour at the polls!