Some San Francisco Mail Ballots Arrived in Torn Envelopes. Here's What Voters Should Check

If your San Francisco ballot packet showed up with a ripped outer envelope this week, you are not alone, and your ballot is probably fine. The city's Department of Elections said Wednesday that it has heard from a number of voters whose vote-by-mail packets for the Nov. 3 election arrived with tears in the outside mailing envelope.

What caused it

After the reports came in, the department contacted the U.S. Postal Service. According to the department, the Postal Service said the tears happened as some envelopes moved through its processing equipment, and it switched to handling the remaining packets by hand once it noticed the problem. Not every packet was damaged; the department says it has also heard from many voters whose envelopes arrived in good shape.

What to look for

The department says the damage it has seen so far is limited to the outer envelope, with the contents still complete. Voters with a torn packet should open it and confirm that all four ballot cards are there and undamaged, along with the ballot return envelope. If everything is intact, the department says you can mark your ballot as usual and send it back in the return envelope that came with it. A tear in the outer mailer does not affect whether the ballot can be used.

If a card is missing or damaged, or you simply would rather have a fresh ballot, you can request a replacement. The department lists three ways to reach it: call 415-558-6100, email [email protected], or use the online Voter Portal, where voters can also check their registration and request a new ballot.

Watching the next mailings

Elections officials say they are continuing to work with the Postal Service and will keep an eye on future ballot mailings. San Francisco began mailing ballots to locally registered voters on Oct. 1 and started processing returned ballots on Oct. 6, according to the department's announcements. Its office is in City Hall, Room 48, and is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Voters elsewhere in the Bay Area who see similar damage can check with their own county registrar, since each county handles its own replacement ballots.