June 15, 2018

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

(Redwood City, CA) At 8:30 a.m. on June 22, 2018, the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Division will begin the One Percent Manual Tally of the votes cast in the June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary Election.

The One Percent Manual Tally is a legally required election canvassing procedure that takes place after the polls have closed on Election Day. The Official Canvass of the Vote must be completed within 30 days following an election. The One Percent Manual Tally ensures the accuracy of the vote before the official results are certified.

“While all voting equipment is tested for accuracy prior to each election, the manual tally confirms that our voting and counting equipment has performed with complete accuracy throughout the election period,” said Mark Church, San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer & Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder. “All election processes are open to the public, and I encourage all voters to view the integrity of the election results by observing the manual tally,” Church added.

Official election results will not be certified until the canvass is completed. The votes of each of the ballot contests are upheld by the validations from the One Percent Manual Tally.

The procedure begins with the selection of precincts for manual tally. Selection is determined through a random process that involves throwing three ten-sided dice and matching the resulting three numbers to a corresponding precinct number.

The One Percent Manual Tally, including the rolling of the dice, is a completely transparent process that the public is invited to observe. Past observers have rolled the dice to help select the precincts. Election officials will work in teams of four, called a “precinct board,” to manually read, call out, record, and tally votes.

This process will take approximately 5 days to complete. The Chief Elections Officer will then certify and publish the official results no later than July 5, 2018. The official certified results, known as the Statement of the Vote, will be published on www.smcacre.org.

The One Percent Manual Tally will be held at the Registration & Elections Division at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo. Please call 650.312.5222 if you wish to observe the manual tally or be a part of the process in selecting precincts or follow @smcvote on Twitter for updates.

New Election Model for June 5, 2018
The June 5, 2018 Statewide Direct Primary Election is the first election conducted under the California Voter’s Choice Act (VCA). The VCA implements an All-Mailed Ballot/Vote Center election model, with every registered voter receiving a Vote by Mail Ballot through the mail. The voted ballot may be returned by mail, dropped off at any Vote Center or Ballot Drop-off Box located throughout the county. Return postage is pre-paid. 

Vote Centers replace traditional polling places and are open for voting throughout the early voting period. Vote Centers provide expanded voter services such as voter registration, multilingual assistance, and disabled access voting options. 

For more information on the California Voter’s Choice Act and the new All-Mailed Ballot/Vote Center election model, please call 650.312.5222, visit www.smcacre.org or follow us on Twitter @smcvote

Related Contacts

Mark Church

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder and Chief Elections Officer
555 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063-1665Get Directions
Phone:
650.363.4988

Jim Irizarry

Asst. Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Asst. Chief Elections Officer
555 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063-1665Get Directions
Phone:
650.363.4988