SF Elections Dept. doing security checks, mailing primary ballots
SF elections officials conducting security checks on systems
Some California voters could begin receiving their primary ballots as early as next week. On Monday, San Francisco election officials began the process of security checks on their election systems. San Francisco's director of elections shared details of this process and upcoming deadlines voters need to know.
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco's Department of Elections began preparations Monday for security checks on ballot machines to get ready for the state's March 5 primary election that will include the presidential primary and the race for the late Senator Dianne Feinstein's seat.
"In California, all counties are required to check their equipment before election day," said John Arntz, San Francisco's Elections Director.
Arntz said elections departments statewide are doing preventative maintenance and security checks on ballot scanning equipment.
"Mechanical testing, tabulation testing," Arntz said, "We have 16 machines here at City Hall that tabulate or scan the vote-by-mail ballots that we receive. And then we have around 600 machines at the warehouse."
That warehouse at Pier 31 is under tight security and comes with a camera that allows the public to observe a livestream of the elections staff as they do the security checks.
California also has safeguards to protect against election meddling by hackers in the U.S. and overseas.
State law says "no part of a voting system shall be connected to the internet at any time."
This year a big turnout is expected with the race to fill the late Senator Dianne Feinstein's seat coming at the same time as the presidential primary.
"Usually a presidential primary will be at least in the 60th-percentile for turnout," Arntz said.
Arntz says it is important that voters know the political parties' rules for receiving primary ballots in California.
"About a third of the voters in San Francisco when they registered, they registered without a party affiliation," Arntz said.
In California, those no-party-preference voters can request a Democratic, Libertarian or American Independence Party without registering for those parties, but California's Republican Party does not allow crossover voting.
"If someone wants to vote in the Republican primary for president, they have to actually register as a Republican," Arntz said.
Ballots are expected to go out in the mail to voters next Wednesday.
"I believe in the process. I try to participate as best I can. I think it's important we all get out and do our bit," said Glenn Reynolds, a Half Moon Bay voter.
"I think it's important," said Layla Aboufares, an Oakland voter, "Doing your research first and foremost."
"I actually just got the pamphlet mailed, so I haven't had the time to look at it yet, but I need to review it.," said Rumaldo Godinez, a San Francisco voter.
San Francisco's City Hall voting center is set to open on February 5.