How to Fill Out A Voter Registration Card Completing a Voter Registration Card Two Sections The registration section is detachable and can be mailed (postage is pre-paid.) This receipt is kept by the person who is registering. General Requirements  Write in non-erasable ink  Write clearly and legibly (especially numbers)  Fill out all items completely  Providing a phone number and/or email address is optional but very helpful if there is missing information or any other issue Step by Step Instructions The next six pages will work through the Voter Registration Form in small sections, explaining the information required for each item. Name (Items 1, 2, and 3)  Print first, middle or initial, and last name in the three sections provided.  Include any suffix (Jr., Sr.; I II or III) with the last name.  A title (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss) is optional  A title of address (Mrs. John Smith; The Honorable Judge Smith, Captain America) is not valid for voter registration. How to Fill Out a Voter Registration Card 456 47—A 9 41 2 3        Home address (Items 4 and 5) This is the address where a person lives or considers their residence, either permanently or at this present time Make sure any apartment or space number is listed Check zip code is complete Check COUNTY (not country) is given If no street address (the person is homeless) (Item 6) The person should provide an intersection (two streets that cross) where they feel they live This intersection will be used to establish which precinct they will vote in A mailing address must also be provided where election materials can be sent (see below) 10 0 999 9 9   Mailing Address (Items 7 and 8) Anyone may specify a mailing address where they would like to receive election materials This could be :     a family member’s or friend’s address a business address a P.O. (post office) box “General Delivery” (+ zip code) —mail will be held for pick up at the post office assigned to this zip code. How to Fill Out A Voter Registration Card What if the person is living overseas, or will move or be stationed overseas before the next election? 03  The person should provide their most recent San Francisco (or California) address as their home address (Items 4 & 5), and their overseas address as the mailing address (Item 7 & 8).  They will automatically become a permanent vote-by-mail voter, so the permanent vote-by-mail request (Item 15) is optional.  This voter will receive a follow-up survey from the Department and they may need to fill out an additional form (temporary, permanent, and military overseas voters all have different requirements).  Providing an email address (item 12) will help us communicate with them while they’re abroad. 1 5 1 3 1 2 34 56 7 Date of Birth (Item 9)  To register, a person must be at least 18 years old by or on the upcoming Election Day. Place of Birth (Item 10)   If born in the United States, the state or territory of birth is provided. If born outside the United States, the COUNTRY (not county) is provided. Identification Number (Item 11)  If the applicant has a California driver’s license or CA state identification card number, they should provide it.  If they have neither a California driver’s license or ID card, they provide the last four digits of their social security number.  If an eligible voter has neither form of identification, the State will assign a unique identifier for the voter (this will lengthen processing time). How to Fill Out A Voter Registration Card @ Phone number & email (Item 12 and 13)  This information is optional-one; either, neither, or both phone & email may be provided.  If the Department needs to contact the voter, an email address or phone number is very helpful.  This information is not available to telemarketers, but campaigns may access it for electioneering or get-out-the-vote purposes. Political Party (Item 14)  The person registering to vote may indicate which (if any) political party they prefer.  Currently, there are six qualified parties:  American Independent (not to be confused with “independent” voters who do not wish to affiliate with any party) Democratic; Green; Libertarian; Peace & Freedom; Republican  A person may choose not to state a party preference by marking “No Party Preference”.  Under current State law, “No Party Preference” voters   may vote for any candidate for statewide or congressional office. may not be able to vote for some candidates in a primary election for President of the United States or party committees. Permanent Vote-by-Mail (Item 15)  If initialed, this person will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot for every election. How to Fill Out A Voter Registration Card - Previous Registration (Item 16)  If this person has been registered before, they should provide as much of their previous information as possible.  To indicate a name change, the new name is listed in Box 1 & 2 and the former name in Box 16.  To change parties, the new party is listed in Box 14 and the previous choice in Box 16. Citizenship and Age (Item 17)  The voter must check these boxes to affirm both citizenship and age eligibility. How to Fill Out a Voter Registration Card Declaration, Signature, Date (Items 18)    This is a legal document. By signing, the person is certifying under penalty of perjury that they are a citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, not in prison or on parole for a felony, and have provided information that is true and correct. If someone is unable to sign their name, they can make their mark or a cross. Have a witness sign next to the mark on Line 18. Signature stamps, pre-printed labels, and Power of Attorney signatures are not valid for voter registration. “Optional Voter Information” Box  The person may indicate they would like to serve as a poll worker or polling place owner.  Ethnicity/race information helps us to assign bilingual pollworkers to polling places and plan production of multilingual election materials.  If a language preference is checked, the voter will receive election materials in that language (if available for that county). How to Fill Out a Voter Registration Card - 10 10 11 10 11 Mimi Selfridge Bay Area Voter Boosters (415) 555-1234 10 Mimi Selfridge Bay Area Voter Boosters (415) 555-1234 “Did someone help you fill out or deliver this form” Box     If someone helps a person fill out their Voter Registration Card, this information must be completed in the assistant’s own handwriting Do not use a stamp, sticker, or label It must be signed at the time the voter is assisted to register, not before (but organizational information can be handwritten beforehand) Write the information TWICE:  once on the registration card side  once on the receipt Voter Receipt   The person who is registering keeps the receipt (after any assistant signs and completes it). A Voter Identification Card is sent within 2 weeks to confirm registration—the person should check the card to make sure their information is correct. How to Fill Out a Voter Registration Card Common Omissions We frequently receive voter registration cards that are missing information. To avoid processing delays, double-check that this information is complete:  County (item 5 & 16)  Birthplace (item 10)  Identification number (item 11)  Prior registration (item 16)  Citizen & age boxes (item 17)  Date (item 18)  Signature (item 18) Returning the Registration Card To be eligible to vote in a specific election, a person’s completed voter registration card (VRC) must be received by us at least 15 days prior to that Election Day.   The card may be mailed back—it is postage paid. It can be delivered in person to the Department : City Hall, Room 48 (ground-floor) 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place (Polk Street between McAllister and Grove) San Francisco CA 94102 Questions? Please call us at (415) 554-4411 Monday through Friday, 8:00 am—5:00 pm.