November 3, 2026, Consolidated General Election

Certain non-citizen San Francisco residents may register and vote in the local Board of Education contest in the November 3 election. To learn more, visit Non-citizen voting in local Board of Education elections.

You can use the Voter Portal to check your registration status and make sure your information is up to date.

October 19, 2026, is the last day to register to vote and still receive a ballot by mail for this election.

Eligible residents can register online, at the Department of Elections office in City Hall, Room 48, or by contacting the Department to request a paper registration form.

After October 19, eligible residents can still register and vote in person at the Department of Elections office or at a polling place on Election Day.

Visit the California Secretary of State’s website for information about the 2026 California General Election.

In October 2026, the Secretary of State will mail the Voter Information Guide with details about this election.

Around the same time, the Department of Elections will mail the local Voter Information Pamphlet & Sample Ballot to all registered San Francisco voters. Translated versions of the pamphlet are available in Chinese, Spanish, Filipino, and Vietnamese. You can also download an MP3 version of the Voter Information Pamphlet.

The Department of Elections’ Outreach Team is also available to provide information about this election, conduct educational presentations, assist with voter registration, and host resource tables at community events. To invite the Outreach Team, submit a request or call (415) 558-6100.

You can vote by mail, in person at the City Hall Voting Center (open one month before Election Day), or at your neighborhood polling place on Election Day. All voting options are secure and accessible, and you can expect a welcoming, safe, and respectful experience. Learn how the Department of Elections is securing and protecting the integrity of elections.

Every voter has the right to cast a ballot privately and without intimidation or interference, whether voting in person or returning a vote-by-mail ballot. The San Francisco Department of Elections is committed to maintaining safe, orderly, and welcoming voting locations and official ballot drop boxes where all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote.

No member of the public, government official, or law enforcement officer, including a federal immigration enforcement agent, may intimidate voters or interfere with their ability to vote. Election law prohibits intimidation, threats, and coercion throughout the voting process.

How the Department of Elections Protects Voters

To support a safe and accessible voting process, the Department:

• Deploys field support personnel to assist polling places throughout Election Day
• Trains poll workers to recognize and immediately report conduct that could intimidate voters, disrupt voting, or interfere with access to a voting location, regardless of who engages in the conduct
• Provides poll workers with procedures for reporting situations that may interfere with voting and seeking assistance from the Department
• Monitors reports concerning voting locations and official ballot drop boxes and coordinates an appropriate response
• Administers rules governing electioneering, observers, and conduct at voting locations and around official ballot drop boxes
• Works with City and State agencies and law enforcement, when necessary, to protect voters and maintain safe access to voting

If a voter feels intimidated or encounters activity that interferes with voting, the Department will help the voter cast a ballot safely. Depending on the timing and circumstances, this may include providing information about voting at the City Hall Voting Center or returning a vote-by-mail ballot at an official ballot drop box.

Report a Concern

If you experience or witness possible intimidation or interference at a voting location or around an official ballot drop box, contact the Department at (415) 558-6100 or sfvote@sfgov.org.

If there is an immediate threat to personal safety, call 911.

The Department will promptly review reported concerns and coordinate an appropriate response with the relevant agencies.

Ballots will be mailed to all registered San Francisco voters in early October 2026.

You may return your voted ballot by mail. To be counted, your ballot must be postmarked by Election Day and received by the Department of Elections no later than seven days after Election Day. If you mail your ballot on Election Day, take it to a post office and request a manual postmark.

Starting October 5, you may drop off your ballot at any official California drop box through Election Day. There will be 37 official drop boxes in San Francisco.

You may also return your ballot at any California voting site or polling place on Election Day, between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Starting October 5, any registered voter may get an accessible ballot through the accessible vote-by-mail portal. Voters can use assistive technology (screen readers, sip-and-puff devices, head-pointers, etc.) to mark ballots. Completed ballots must be printed and returned by mail or in person.

You may vote early at the Voting Center in City Hall, in front of Room 48.

Early voting begins on October 5 and continues through Election Day, November 3.

• Monday–Friday: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (except October 12 holiday)
• Weekend of October 24-25 and October 31-November 1: 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
• Election Day, November 3: 7:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

On Election Day, 501 polling places will be open throughout San Francisco, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The list of locations of polling places for the November 3 election, along with the in-person language assistance will be available in October.

Most voters do not need to show identification when voting. Poll workers will not ask for ID unless it is required by law. You may be asked to show identification if you are voting for the first time after registering by mail and did not provide a driver license number, state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number on your registration form.

Before each election, the Department sends a notice to voters who may need to provide identification, asking them to submit ID in advance of voting in person or returning their completed vote-by-mail ballot. If this applies to you and you have not yet provided identification, please bring ID to your polling place or include a copy with your vote-by-mail ballot.

Acceptable forms of ID include a recent utility bill, your sample ballot booklet, another document from a government agency, a passport, a driver license or state ID card, or a student ID card that shows your name and photo.

San Francisco official ballots are available in four bilingual formats: English and Chinese, English and Spanish, English and Filipino, or English and Vietnamese.

Facsimile ballots (a copy of the official ballot translated into a particular language that a voter can reference when marking their official ballot) are available in Bengali, Burmese, Hindi, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Thai, and Urdu.

If you prefer to receive election materials in one of these language formats, you may submit your language preference. Otherwise, you will receive a ballot in English and Chinese by default.

You can use the Voter Portal to see when your ballot is mailed and confirm when it’s been accepted for counting. If there’s an issue with your ballot envelope—such as a missing signature—the portal will alert you and provide instructions for how to resolve the issue.

You can also sign up for automatic email, text, or phone updates using the Where’s My Ballot tool.

The Department of Elections will release local preliminary results on Election Night, November 3, at 8:45 p.m., and will continue to update results throughout the canvass period following Election Day. For more information about results reporting schedule, visit sfelections.gov/results.

Final local election results will be certified and released by December 3, 2026.

Learn why an accurate and complete vote count takes time.

Statewide election results will be available on the California Secretary of State’s website.

• Early October 2026 – Vote-by-mail ballot packets arriving to mailboxes; in-person voting begins at the Voting Center in City Hall, in front of Room 48; 37 ballot drop boxes open in San Francisco
• October 19, 2026 – Voter registration deadline (to receive a ballot by mail)
• November 3, 2026 – Election Day, 501 polling places open in San Francisco from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• November 3, 2026 – First preliminary local election results released by the Department at 8:45 p.m.
• December 3, 2026 – Last day for the Department of Elections to certify and release final local election results.

Use the Election Readiness Tool to map out your voting plan for the November 3, 2026 election (available in September).

Learn more about early voting at the Voting Center in City Hall, Room 48.

See the map of the official ballot drop box locations in San Francisco.

Find your polling place, get directions, and check wait times for each location.

Learn about accessible voting services, including the Ballot Delivery and Pickup Program for voters who are hospitalized, homebound, or otherwise unable to travel to an in-person voting site.

Voter Oath and Ballot Return Form. Use this form if you are a military or overseas voter returning your ballot by fax, or if you are using your own envelope to return your voted ballot.

Ballot Pick-up Authorization Form. Use this form to authorize someone to pick up a ballot from the Department of Elections at City Hall and deliver it to you.

Emergency Ballot Delivery Request Form. Use this form to request emergency ballot delivery, pickup, or emergency voting assistance from the Department of Elections.

The Department of Elections is here to help. Whether you have questions about registering to vote, voting by mail, accessible or language services, or anything else related to the election, we’re ready to assist you.

You can contact us by phone at (415) 558-6100, by email, or by visiting our office at City Hall, Room 48.

Language assistance is available in Chinese, Spanish, Filipino, Vietnamese, and many other languages.