If you’re one of thousands of San Franciscans experiencing homelessness, you might be wondering if you can vote in this election.

The answer is yes, even if you lack a fixed address or physical identification card when you register or cast your ballot.

“It all goes back to people having a say in their own lives,” said TJ Johnston, editor-in-chief of Street Sheet, a newspaper by people experiencing homelessness that aims to empower them. “Voting is one of the most direct ways in which anyone can do that, regardless of their housing status.” The Street Sheet is published by the Coalition on Homelessness.

Here, we aim to answer questions you might have so you can have a voice in races for the Board of Supervisors, school and community college boards and other offices. You can also weigh in on local, regional and state propositions, including 10 municipal ballot measures that could affect issues such as affordable housing to public transit to mayoral power.

Check out our voter guide for written and audio explanations of local measures as well as ongoing election coverage. You can also read about state races from our partner CalMatters.

What are important dates for this election?

Monday, Oct. 5: In-person voting begins at City Hall
Monday, Oct. 19: Last day to register for mail-in ballot
Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day

Where can I register and vote?

You can register to vote or update your information online and in person. To register online, visit registertovote.ca.gov and fill out the form.

To register by mail, you can get a paper form at any San Francisco Public Library branch and most government offices in the city (such as post offices or the state Department of Motor Vehicles). Click here to find the open hours and street address of a library branch near you. Once you fill out the form, tear off the portion that says “Voter Receipt” for your records. Fold, tape and mail the form, which should already have an address and stamp.

You can register and vote in person at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place. The City Hall voting center is open:

Weekdays: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except Oct. 12, when the office is closed)
Weekends beginning Oct. 24: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Nov. 3, Election Day: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

You may also register and cast a ballot at your local polling place on Election Day. Click here to find a polling place in your neighborhood and its hours. If you go to a site outside your precinct, you might not be allowed to vote on certain location-based races, including for the supervisor who would represent your geographic district in City Hall.

Do I need a fixed address to register?

You do not need a permanent address to register or vote. If you are filling out the online registration form, select “I do not have a street address” in the section that asks for your home address.

Screenshot of online voter registration form showing a checked box that says "I do not have a street address" and blank spaces to describe where you live.

In the print version, this will be section 4.

Image of section 4 of paper voter registration form, including text that says "The address where you live" and blank spaces to fill out an address.

Then mark the location where you spend most of your time, such as the intersection nearest where you sleep or the address of a shelter. Election workers will use that information to determine your precinct.

How soon can I vote in person?

Today! In-person voting is already open at City Hall. For specific instructions to find the voting center inside the building, click here. You may also drop off your completed ballot at a ballot drop box. Click here to find the one closest to you.

A map of San Francisco shows the locations of 37 different ballot boxes. — San Francisco has 37 ballot boxes across the city. Credit: San Francisco Department of Elections

Can I vote by mail?

Yes, but if you would like a mail-in ballot, you need to register before Oct. 20. If you register after that date, you will receive a provisional ballot, which will be counted only after the department verifies that you are eligible to vote.

If you have a secure mailing address, such as a post office box or friend’s house, and you’d like your ballot mailed to you, you can indicate that in the online form by selecting “My mailing address is different from my home address,” and filling out the desired address.

Screenshot of online voter registration form showing a checked box that says "My mailing address is different form my home address" and blank spaces to fill out an address.

For the paper form, write that address in Section 5.

Image of section 5 of paper voter registration form, including text that says "The address where you receive mail" and blank spaces to fill out an address.

You can track your mail-in ballot here.

When I register and vote, what kind of identification will I need?

When registering, you will be asked for your California driver’s license or identification number or, if you don’t have those, the last four digits of your Social Security number.

If you provide the requested information about your identity upon registering, you shouldn’t need identification when you vote.

If you don’t provide that information when registering, when you cast your ballot you will need to show identification such as a passport, ID card from another state, or a military, student or employee ID card with your name and photo. Click here to see the full list of acceptable documents.

If you do not show any of those documents at registration or when voting, the Department of Elections will try to contact you later by phone, email or letter. You will have until Dec. 3 to respond with photographic or other proof of identification for your ballot to be counted. The department encourages voters to respond as soon as possible.

Proposition 39 could change ID requirements for future elections

While you don’t need ID to vote in this election, if California’s Proposition 39 passes this November, for future elections voters will be required to show government-issued identification when registering and voting in person. Voters who mail in ballots must write the last four digits of a government-issued identification number on the envelope for their vote to count. If you want to introduce new requirements, vote yes on proposition 39. If you would like ID requirements to stay as they are, vote no.

When do I need to vote by?

Mail-in ballots need to be postmarked before or on Election Day, Nov. 3, and received by the Department of Elections by Nov. 10. If you are mailing your ballot on Election Day, ask for a “hand stamp” or “manual postmark” at the post office, as mail dropped in a USPS collection box on Election Day may not be picked up until the next day. You can also drop off your mail-in ballot at any ballot drop box or polling place by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

What if I can’t mail my ballot or get to a polling place?

If you are registered and cannot get to a polling place or City Hall, you may authorize anyone in your immediate family, a grandparent or a grandchild to deliver your ballot to you. Fill out this form and have them drop it off at the City Hall voting center. If you cannot travel due to illness or disability, you may authorize anyone at least 16 years old to pick up your ballot. They will need to show ID at the center to prove they are the person authorized on the form to pick up the ballot.

Beginning one week before the election, you may also request that city personnel drop off your ballot at a specific location, including any cross street, through a process called emergency ballot delivery — even if you are not registered. To submit a request, fill out this form and return it to the Elections Department. You can mail it to Elections Department, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place City Hall, Room 48, San Francisco, CA 94102; fax it to (415) 558-6109; or scan and email it to ballotdelivery@sfgov.org. A department employee will call you during business hours to schedule delivery.

Do you have other questions about voting in San Francisco? Email the Department of Elections at sfvote@sfgov.org, submit a request for information in this online form or call 415-558-6100. Click here to read more about election services in languages other than English.