1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room
48
San Francisco CA 94102-4634
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS
City and County of San
Francisco
sfelections.org
Guidelines for Media and Poll Monitors on Election Day
November 3, 2009 Municipal Election
Members of the media, representatives of campaigns, and election monitors may observe the
activities of voters and poll workers at polling places from the time the polls open at 7:00 a.m.
until all closing procedures are completed, as long as they do not interfere with or disrupt the
voting process or the duties of poll workers.
The voting process is considered disrupted if voting is slowed or stopped, if voters are having
difficulty entering or exiting the polling place, if voters are being discouraged from entering the
polling place or if any normal procedures are made difficult or impossible to complete.
General rules for observing voting activity in San Francisco:
\u2022
All poll monitors are to refrain from talking in loud voices or otherwise exhibiting
behavior that could cause confusion. They are also to refrain from congregating in
excessive numbers inside the polling place. CAEC \u00a7 18502
\u2022
Electioneering, including wearing campaign badges, soliciting votes, or taking campaign
materials or literature into the polling place is not permitted within 100 feet from the
entrance or door to the room in which voters sign the Roster and cast their ballots.CAEC
\u00a7 18370
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The area between the official table and the voting booths is available to poll workers and
voters only and may not be designated as an observer post. CAEC \u00a7 14221
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Poll monitors may not sit at the official table where the election materials are displayed.
CAEC \u00a7 14223(a)
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Poll workers are instructed to mark Street Indexes once each hour until 6:00 p.m. to
indicate persons who have voted. These Street Indexes are posted outside the polling
place for public viewing. Poll monitors are not allowed to remove or tamper with the
Street Indexes. CAEC \u00a714294
\u2022
The Roster of Voters may be inspected provided there is no interference with a poll
worker\u2019s ability to perform their duties or inconvenience to the voters. Poll monitors are
not allowed to remove the Roster of Voters from the room in which voting is being
conducted. CAEC \u00a714202 & 14223(b)
\u2022
Media and public opinion pollsters are subject to different rules than poll monitors.
Members of the news media and pollsters may be within 25 feet of a polling place, and
may speak to voters leaving the site as long as they do not interrupt voting. However,
voters may not \u2014 without their permission \u2014 be photographed, videotaped or filmed
John Arntz
Director
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