Contact: Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Alternate: Jim Irizarry, Asst. Chief Elections Officer & Asst. Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

(Redwood City, CA) Mark Church, Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder announced that starting Monday, May 4, the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division will begin opening and processing returned Vote by Mail ballots for the June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election. The public and the media are welcome to observe these activities.

Election officials may open the return envelopes containing voted mail ballots beginning 29 days before Election Day. Envelopes will be opened and processed Monday through Friday in our office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo. Daily opening and processing will proceed from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Hours may change based on the number of ballots to process. Weekend processing will be added as needed.

For each ballot, the voter’s signature on the outside of the envelope is compared with the signature from the voter’s original registration application or other updated signatures on file from previous elections and the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Once the signature has been verified, the ballot is separated from the envelope to preserve secrecy. The envelope is retained for the mandatory retention period, and the ballot is then digitally scanned. The scanned ballots are not counted or reported until the close of voting at 8 p.m. on Election Day, June 2, 2026.

Those interested in observing this process, or any other election-related activity, are welcome to visit the Registration & Elections Division office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo. Observers may attend at any time during operating hours; however, space is limited and wait times may occur.

Time-specific appointments may be requested by emailing ElectionObserver@smcacre.gov.

Observers will receive a copy of the Election Observer Program Guidelines, which outline observer rights, responsibilities, and limitations, as well as a copy of the Vote by Mail Processing Procedures.

Early Voting Period Begins May 4, 2026
All registered San Mateo County voters will be mailed a Vote by Mail ballot in May 2026. Three Vote Centers will open for in-person voting beginning May 4, 2026, with additional Vote Centers opening through Election Day. 

For more information about the June 2, 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election, call or text (650) 312-5222, visit www.smcacre.gov, or follow us on X @smcvote and Instagram @sanmateocountyvote.