Do you love to take photography? Do you have some pictures laying around in box somewhere? We’re looking for some great images that showcase San Mateo County — they can be of landscapes, homes, picturesque views, golf courses, businesses, urban imagery…pretty much anything. Our only requirement is that the photos be of San Mateo County.
Here’s some samples of what we have now (taken by our own Greta McElroy-White of the Elections Office):
Some legal stuff:
By submitting a photo, you acknowledge that we have permission to post it on our blog and our website. You would retain full copyright privileges…just make sure that you have the copyright privileges to begin with! We want your personal photos, not copies of someone else’s please! We do have the right to refuse photos.
To submit your images, email electwebadmin@smcare.org. Make sure to include your name, contact information, and a short description of your included images. Any questions? Just send it to electwebadmin@smcare.org!
We look forward to seeing San Mateo County through your eyes!
Why haven’t you voted yet? Don’t wait till Tuesday to cast your ballot!
If you haven’t been reading our blog, maybe you just don’t know that you can already vote by coming into either of San Mateo County’s elections office locations (40 Tower Road in San Mateo and 555 County Center in Redwood City) . We’re open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily just waiting for voters to come in and cast their ballot on our eSlate voting machines. And any voter can vote here, as long as the voter lives in San Mateo County.
For voters who just haven’t transitioned to voting on the eSlate yet, we do have paper ballots available as well.
And guess what…if you can’t come in during business hours (perhaps because you’re busy with your own business hours), come in on Saturday!
Both locations will be open 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday to accommodate voters and assist voters with questions and concerns regarding elections.
So, again, why wait? Vote today!
Posted in Election Day/Night, Elections Office, Polling place, Voting, eSlates, early voting
Tagged early voting, Elections Office, polling place hours, San Mateo County, vote, voting hours
Sample Ballots for the Nov. 6 Consolidated Municipal, School and Special District Election are headed for your mailbox pronto. The first of them arrived in mailboxes Friday and Saturday, with delivery continuing through this week and next.
Overall, 310,000 ballots in 42 different ballot styles – as an election in Burlingame will have different races than an election in Half Moon Bay – are being sent to San Mateo County voters.
Aren’t sure what a Sample Ballot is? It is just what it sounds like: A sample of what your actual ballot will be. Practice your vote, take notes, make mistakes or even doodle if you’re so inclined. Take your Sample Ballot with you to the polls on Election Day as your guide for casting your votes on the eSlate, or use it as a rough draft from which to complete your official Vote by Mail ballot (on which, sorry to say, doodles are not allowed). Using your Sample Ballot will make your vote go faster and avoid mistakes when they count.
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Our required poll worker classes just got a little more organized, and little more hi-tech.
Monday marked the first day of mandatory classes on election law and procedures for some 2,000 San Mateo County poll workers who will serve in this November’s election. But it also marks the first election in which San Mateo County is requiring its poll workers to sign up for their class in advance – and to do it online.
In previous elections, poll workers were given a schedule and asked to simply show up for the class – required under California Elections Code – whenever they wished. Some classes would have two participants; others would have 42. Now, with advance signups on Shape the Future, the Elections Office’s Web site, class sizes can be capped and attendees can be better tracked.
Admittedly, many poll workers are not of the MySpace generation, but the Elections Office is nonetheless pushing workers to go to the Internet if they can.
“The phone’s ringing pretty steadily, and when they call, we’re trying to send them back to the Internet,” said Elections Specialist Hillary O’Connor.
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We’re glad you’re here!
This inaugural post marks a brand-new venture for Shape the Future, the Web site for the San Mateo County Elections Office, as we’re finally hopping the blog train (yeah, yeah, we know it left a long time ago).
This blog will aim to bring you inside Election Land, if you will, to give you an in-depth look at all that goes into the casting of your vote. Your ballot shows up in your mailbox or you vote on an eSlate on Election Day, but what goes on behind the scenes to get it there?
More importantly, how do you know that voting is secure and your vote is accurately counted? Well, how could you really know unless we’re transparent about it? Hence, the blog. Many of our posts will be about election preparations that focus on ensuring security and integrity. Perhaps it will even further boost your confidence in the votes you cast.
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