County to Review Vote by Mail Ballots in Woodside Election

From San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division: On Thursday, March 30, authorized staff of the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division will open and process returned Vote by Mail ballots for the April 4, 2017 Woodside Elementary School District Special Mail Ballot Election.

“Preparations are currently underway for the opening and processing of returned Vote by Mail ballots beginning next Thursday,” announced Mark Church, San Mateo County’s Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. “Members of the public are invited to observe our Vote by Mail operations at the Registration & Elections Division, located at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo,” he added

Election officials may open the return envelopes containing voted mail ballots beginning ten (10) business days before Election Day. This process will continue daily through the Official Canvass.

For each ballot, staff will compare the voter’s signature on the outside of the envelope to the signature on the voter’s original registration application or other updated signatures on file.

The ballot is separated from the envelope to preserve secrecy. The envelope is saved for the mandatory retention period and the ballot is digitally scanned. The voting marks captured in the scanning system’s memory will not be tabulated (counted) or reported until the close of voting at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Those interested in observing the process may come to the Registration & Elections Division, 40 Tower Road, San Mateo during business hours or make prior arrangements by contacting Elections Supervisor Melinda Dubroff at 650.312.5390 or mdubroff@smcare.org. Observers will receive a copy of our Election Observer Program Guidelines which specify observer rights, responsibilities and limitations, and a copy of the Vote by Mail processing procedures.

Registered voters may use the Check My Registration/Access my Election Materials/View My Voter Information Pamphlet/Track My Ballot link under the “Voters” section on www.shapethefuture.org to verify when ballot materials were mailed and when the Registration & Elections Division received their voted ballot.

All registered voters in the jurisdiction will be automatically mailed a Vote by Mail ballot in the April 4, 2017 Woodside Elementary School District Special Mail Ballot Election. Voted mail ballots can only be accepted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day, April 4, and received by April 7, 2017. Voters may also deliver their voted ballots in person to the Registration & Elections Division’s 24-hour ballot drop box, or to the Voting Center located at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo on April 4. The drop box and Voting Center close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

For more information on the April 4, 2017 Woodside Elementary School District Special Mail Ballot Election, please call 650.312.5222, visit here or follow @smcvote on Twitter.

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