As we publish the final newsletter of the year (and of course, we will be back in January 2026 to continue this connection), we want to take a moment to reflect on our outreach accomplishments, many of which were made possible through collaboration with all of you. Throughout 2025, we worked with focus, energy, and a shared commitment to serving San Francisco’s voters while facilitating registration opportunities, increasing awareness of election services, and engaging residents in elections.
A Message from John Arntz, Director of the Department of Elections
“This year’s outreach accomplishments were made possible because of you—our partners, community organizations, and trusted messengers across the city. Your work helped ensure that voters received clear, accessible, and reliable election information, and in turn, it encouraged many more residents to engage in our elections. I want to sincerely thank you for the energy, focus, and collaboration you brought to this work in 2025. I am grateful for our partnership and look forward to continuing this important work together in the new year.”
With two elections ahead in 2026, the foundations we strengthened this year, including our community partnerships, our outreach strategies, and our public-facing services, place the Department in a strong position for the work ahead.
As we close out the year, we look forward to building on this momentum and entering the next election cycle ready to engage and serve our voters, and to continue collaborating with all of you.
A Look Back at a Year of Outreach
Community Engagement
This year, our Team was out in the community more than ever—participating in over 200 events across San Francisco. From neighborhood festivals to citywide gatherings, we met residents where they are, shared essential election information, and provided voter registration assistance. San Francisco is closing 2025 with one of the highest numbers of registered voters in recent years, reaching nearly 532,000 registrants.
Educational Presentations
Our staff brought voter education directly to residents through in-person and virtual presentations, covering topics such as ranked-choice voting, accessible voting resources, multilingual services, registration eligibility requirements, and key information about the two elections conducted in 2025. These sessions equipped voters with the knowledge they need to participate with confidence and helped engage thousands of eligible residents across the city.
Community Partnerships to Reach Hard-to-Reach Populations
Partnerships remained at the heart of our outreach efforts. By collaborating with nearly 100 non-profit organizations and City agencies, we strengthened the reach of our voter education efforts and expanded access to election information for communities that benefit most from trusted messengers, including residents with limited English proficiency, justice-involved individuals, and those experiencing housing insecurity.
College and University Student Engagement
Our outreach extended to campuses across the city, including the University of California San Francisco, the University of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, and the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco. Through on-campus registration drives and voter education events, we connected with more than 3,000 young adult voters, helping many register to vote for the first time.
Future Voter-Focused Outreach
Fostering the next generation of voters remained our priority. This year, through youth-focused voter education events, we reached more than 7,600 students across middle schools, high schools, and youth-serving programs. These interactive sessions introduced students to the fundamentals of civic participation and helped encourage lifelong civic engagement among San Francisco’s future voters.
The Department’s High School Elections Ambassador Program had another standout year, with 80 student Ambassadors leading outreach efforts and facilitating voter registration in their schools and communities. Together, they organized more than 200 activities and pre-registered nearly 500 future voters.
Multilingual Outreach and Language Access
We continued our commitment to language access by providing multilingual materials, in-person assistance, and translated presentations, ensuring that voters received clear and accessible information in the language they prefer and helping residents engage with election services with confidence.
Accessible Outreach and Services
Equally important, we focused on outreach to voters with disabilities, offering demonstrations of accessible voting equipment, providing guidance on accessible vote-by-mail options, and partnering with organizations that serve residents who benefit from accessible services and programs.
Digital Outreach and Social Media Engagement
Digital outreach was a key component of our efforts this year, helping guide voters to trusted, official sources of election information. Through social media campaigns, targeted digital messaging, and our website, sfelections.gov, the Department reached tens of thousands of residents with election reminders, registration information, and updates about elections.
Election Information Distribution
Throughout the year, we distributed hundreds of thousands of multilingual election materials, including postcards, flyers, guides, and brochures, to ensure that residents citywide had access to accurate and easy-to-understand voter information.
Direct Voter Assistance
Our staff provided direct support to thousands of residents by phone, email, and in person at our office. We responded to thousands of inquiries, provided multilingual assistance, helped eligible residents register or update their registration information, and answered questions about election processes and services.
This is just a glimpse into our outreach highlights, and while we would love to share everything, it simply isn’t possible to capture it all — but together, we accomplished so much!
Thank You and Happy Holidays!
In closing, we want to once again extend our heartfelt thanks for being part of this year’s outreach journey. Every event, presentation, and conversation we shared with our partners and communities helped build trust in the election process and expand access to election information for voters across the city.
As we wrap up 2025, we are grateful for your continued partnership and look forward to working together throughout 2026 to support, engage, and educate San Francisco’s voters.
Meanwhile, we are wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful, warm, and restful end of the year. Happy holidays!
Warmly,
Your Outreach Team: Nataliya, Anmarie, Adriana, Max, and Edgar