Finally, after what feels like a campaign season that lasted forever, it's the mid-term election! If you haven't mailed in your ballot, today's the day you're voting. Here's what you need to know:
Where do I vote?
Here's a list of counties and links to their "find your polling place" pages. If you're registered to vote San Francisco, you can look yours up here. Remember, this is based on the address you used when you registered to vote, so if you've recently moved, you can likely update your registration information at your new polling place and cast a provisional ballot. You can find more information about updating your voter registration information here.
What are my polling place rules?
Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. Legally, if you're in line to vote before 8:00 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. You shouldn't be asked for ID before you vote — the only exception might be if you're a first-time voter who registered by mail.
Is it too late to mail in my ballot?
Yup! BUT, you can drop them off at any polling place in your county (not just your polling place) before 8 tonight. You don't even have to deliver it yourself: you can ask "a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or a person residing in the same household" to drop it off for you.
Who/what am I voting on, again?
OK, so you're cramming the morning of. That's OK. Here are some links to get you caught up: Here's what's on the San Francisco Ballot from SF's Department of Elections, and Here's their Voter Information Pamphlet.
But who/what should I vote for/against?
We here at SFist don't endorse, but here's a handy list of endorsements from other publications and interest groups. Pick the folks that match your politics and follow their lead, or pick one you hate and do the opposite! Or mix and match. (Did I miss an endorsement list you found helpful? Let me know in the comments and I'll add it/)
- 2014 November Election Endorsements from the SF Chronicle
- SF Examiner endorsements for November election
- Here's a list of the SF Bay Guardian's endorsements, their full set of endorsements is in this admittedly difficult-to-navigate format.
- The SF Republican Party's endorsements
- The SF Democratic Party's endorsements
- The SF Green Party's endorsements
- Official Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club Endorsements
- Sierra Club Endorsements
- SF Labor Council Endorsements
- SF Bike Coalition Endorsements
- League of Pissed Off Voters endorsements
- SPUR's analysis of SF propositions
When will we have election results?
They'll start counting votes at 8 p.m., but given the volume of mailed-in ballots, it's possible that in close races, we won't see results until Sunday, reports the Chron. San Francisco's Department of Elections will release their first preliminary results report at 8:45 p.m. on their site, with updates at approximately 9:45 p.m., 10:45 p.m., and 11:45 p.m. You can see their reporting schedule here.
Good luck, everyone! Now go do your civic duty, or shut the hell up when things aren't going the way you want them to.