T H E S A N F R A N C I S C O D E P A R T M E N T O F E L E C T I O N S N E W S L E T T E RT H E S A N F R A N C I S C O D E P A R T M E N T O F E L E C T I O N S N E W S L E T T E R

Volume 2, Issue 7 • October 2009

Department of Elections1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 48San Francisco, CA 94102

Volume 2, Issue 7 • October 2009

Department of Elections1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 48San Francisco, CA 94102

On October 17, 1989, the Precinct Services Division of the Depart-ment of Elections was busy prepar-ing all of the voting equipment for the 621 polling places in San Fran-cisco. With the November election just 3 weeks away, there was no time to waste. This division shared a warehouse space with the Purchasing Department in the rear of the long narrow Muni Building at Geary and Masonic. Most of the employees had just left for the day when the earthquake struck at 5:04 p.m., and few knew what to expect when they returned to work. The weather on the next day was very hot and still, the kind that San Francis-cans now like to refer to as “earthquake weather.” In spite of the catastrophic event that had just occurred, many of the Precinct Ser-vices employees reported to work, only to find that their area of the warehouse had been “red tagged.” The pillar supports had cracks, and the stability of the structure was uncertain. At that time there were no com-puters available and Precinct Services records were kept on paper. Routing schedules and route sheets were printed using a manual typewriter. These docu-ments, as well as a small binder that contained the address and contact information for all of the

621 polling places, were secured in the “red tagged” section at the back of the warehouse and would be very difficult to replace. Ignoring the warning and braving the aftershocks that were occur-

ring frequently, two staff persons ventured in amidst the fallen items and retrieved the documents. One Department employee remembers placing a pencil in one of the many cracks in the floor to determine how deep it was. The pencil fell right through. A long fracture ran across the entire length of the wall on the Masonic side of the warehouse. Using folding tables and chairs, personnel set up a makeshift work-station near the Geary entrance, which was considered to be a safer location. Phone lines were pulled from the purchasing front office. Precinct Services personnel immediately started calling the

polling place owners to determine which sites had been damaged or were no longer available. Most of the Marina District was cordoned off by the authorities, and outsid-ers needed special permission to

enter. Many of the prop-erties were knocked off their foundations, and others had the facades crumble or entryways destroyed. The neigh-borhood was without water and electricity for months.

It was decided that several of the voting precincts would be com-bined into the Marina Middle School, which was also set up to be an

evacuation center and the headquarters for emergency workers. The media also sta-

tioned themselves at this location. The Exploratorium on the west side of the Marina was also outside the cordoned-off area and became the site for several other precincts. Polling sites throughout the City were replaced. Thousands of voters and poll workers had to be contact-ed and informed of the new loca-tions. The delivery route sheets had to be altered and staff briefed on the changes. In spite of the incon-veniences, all of the equipment and ballots were delivered on time. Once again, San Francisco’s vot-ers were able to come together to voice their opinions on Election Day.

20 Years Later, Department of Elections Reflects on Loma Prieta Earthquake’s Impact on Election

T H E S A N F R A N C I S C O D E P A R T M E N T O F E L E C T I O N S N E W S L E T T E RT H E S A N F R A N C I S C O D E P A R T M E N T O F E L E C T I O N S N E W S L E T T E R

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake dramatically affected the Marina, and voting was consolidated into two polling places.

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For the November 3 Municipal Elec-tion, San Francisco voters will again use ranked-choice voting to elect their local officials. Ranked-choice voting allows San Francisco voters to rank up to three candidates for the same office. However, when voters get their ballot, either at the polling place or at home, they will find that both the City Attorney and Treasurer contests have one candidate name that appears three times by itself. The names appear on the ballot this way because only one candi-date for each office filed in time to appear on the ballot. By law,

these contests must still appear on a ranked-choice ballot to allow for the possibility of a certified write-in candidates.

The filing deadline for certified

write-in candidates was October 20, 2009, well after the deadline to print the ballots. For this election, no one filed to be a certified write-

in candidate for either contest. So, keep in mind, when marking the ranked-choice ballot, if there

are fewer than three candi-dates for the same office, leave any of the remaining columns blank. Ranked-choice voting was passed by San Francisco vot-ers as an amendment to the City Charter in March 2002 (Proposition A). San Francis-co voters use ranked-choice voting to elect the Mayor,

Sheriff, District Attorney, City Attor-ney, Treasurer, Assessor-Recorder, Public Defender and Members of the Board of Supervisors. For more information on ranked-choice vot-ing, visit sfelections.org/rcv.

Unopposed Contests to Appear on RCV Ballot

A Four-Ounce Bottle of PreventionOn November 3, we’re having an event in every neighborhood in the City, and germs are not on the guest list. The upcoming Municipal Election is happening during the flu sea-son, and the Department is taking extra steps to help voters and elec-tion workers stay healthy. Recognizing that voting sites may see lots

of visitors on Election Day, each polling place will be supplied with hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes for poll

workers and the public to use. Addition-ally, poll workers receive flu prevention guidance during their mandatory training. We’re working to stay healthy here in

the office, too. The Department needs all hands on deck to ensure a smooth elec-tion, so hand sanitizer has been distrib-

uted at all our work sites. Our staff has been informed of flu symptoms to watch for and simple techniques to prevent its spread. We are also actively monitoring the incidences

of flu here in the City, and will advise staff on the availability of vaccinations as the season progresses. So, cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, wash your hands frequently, and don’t forget to vote by November 3!

Your City. Your Vote. Your Voice.Make sure your voice is heard. Vote November 3.

Don’t Forget to Recycle that VIPEvery election, the Department of Elections receives phone calls from voters asking to “opt out” of receiving the Voter Informa-tion Pamphlet. Though the Department supports efforts to “go green”, we are required by law to mail a physical copy to each voter. San Fran-cisco Municipal Elections Code and the San Fran-cisco Charter require that each registered voter receive a Voter Information Pamphlet along with a sample ballot. So, until there are changes to the laws, the Department encourages you to use the blue bin after you make your voice heard.