October 30, 2020 

A Message From The Supervisor:

My team and I have been working hard to provide supports and resources for our community during this time. I know we are facing a pandemic and there is extreme hardship in our community, but we will get through this together!

Please don't hesitate to email us at SafaiStaff@sfgov.org or call us at 1-415-554-6976 if we can assist you in any way and we will immediately respond. 

Thank you all for your time, cooperation, and perseverance! 

Sincerely,




Supervisor Ahsha Safai 

San Francisco To Pause Re-Opening Plans That Were Set To Go Into Effect Next Week Due To Uptick In New Covid-19 Cases     

Today, Friday, October 30, 2020, Mayor London N. Breed and Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax, announced the City will temporarily pause reopening of additional businesses and activities scheduled to resume or expand on Tuesday, November 3rd. This pause is due to an increase in COVID-19 case rates and hospitalizations in San Francisco these last two weeks, however San Francisco will continue its strategy of a thoughtful and deliberate reopening, consistent with emerging scientific data, information and evidence, and will move forward in the safest way possible.

Some of the type of venues impacted by today's announcement include indoor pools, bowling alleys, and locker rooms at fitness centers, and expanding capacity at indoor dining establishments, places of worship, and museums, among other businesses and activities that are allowed only if a county at least reaches the orange tier under the State’s blueprint. Also, please note that businesses and activities that are currently allowed may continue operating at this time. Lastly, limited lower risk activities that were planned to move forward on November 3rd (and are not tied to the State’s orange tier) will still do so, including expanded filming productions with strict safety protocols, and indoor dining at museums up to 25% capacity. Schools will continue to reopen, with more than 75 schools approved and a handful of high schools approved to open their doors in the next week.

Tenth Annual San Francisco Youth Arts Summit 

What: 10th Annual San Francisco Youth Arts Summit

When: Monday, November 30, 2020 -- Friday, December 4, 2020

Who: Presented by Youth Art Exchange

Volunteers Needed For Cayuga Stairway Beautification Project In District 11

We received the following e-mail: 

"Want to volunteer? Have 15 minutes or an hour to spare? Our friends are looking for volunteers to help complete 20-mosaic risers on the Naglee Street Stairs beautification project. The remaining stair risers will be installed on Saturday, October 31, 2020 and Sunday, November 1, 2020. Times TBD, e-mail me back and I’ll provide details."

If you are interested, please call or text Patti Spaniak at 646-409-7775. 

Thank you, and good luck!

SAN FRANCISCO ANNOUNCES EFFORTS IN PLACE TO HELP RESIDENTS VOTE SAFELY IN NOVEMBER ELECTION

All registered voters in San Francisco and California will be sent a vote-by-mail ballot for the November 3, 2020 election, and should expect to receive their ballot in the mail the week of October 5. The deadline to register to vote is October 19, 2020. Register to vote online or in person at the Voting Center. Those who miss the voter registration deadline but are still eligible can visit the Voting Center or a polling place to register and cast a provisional ballot.

Over the last few months, the Department of Elections has been working diligently to safely reach voters and potential registrants with a wide range of multilingual, multi-format informational resources about the November 3 election. In collaboration with its non-profit outreach partners and City agencies, the Department is distributing digital presentations and print materials designed to inform all residents, including members of the City’s vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations, about upcoming election dates and deadlines, vote by mail, and the new health and safety protocols implemented at in-person voting sites. The Department of Elections has also been informing the public about the November 3 election through several informational mailings, digital notices, and Public Service Announcements. 

There are several ways to vote in the election:

By Mail – This is the safest way to vote. The Department of Elections recommends voters return their ballots using a United States Postal Service blue mail collection box. The USPS provides nearly 1,400 collection boxes in the City. Find your nearest mail box here.

At the Voting Center – October 5 through November 3, and open weekends starting October 24.

At a Polling Place on Election Day. There are 588 polling places in San Francisco. Find your polling places on San Francisco’s Voter Portal.

At Ballot Drop-Off Sites – Starting October 5 and through November 3, voters can drop-off ballots at the Voting Center.

Starting October 31 and through November 3, the Department will provide drop-off sites at the Chase Center, Bayview/Linda Brooks-Burton Library, Excelsior Library, and Portsmouth Square.

Accessible Vote-by-Mail System – allows voters to mark screen-readable vote-by-mail ballots using common internet-connected devices. After marking an AVBM ballot, a voter must download and print the ballot and return the ballot printout by mail or in person in a timely manner, just as vote-by-mail voters who use official paper ballots must do.

Authorizing another person to pick up your ballot – Beginning October 5, any registered voter may authorize a spouse, child, parent, grandparent, sibling, or person residing in their household to pick up a vote-by-mail ballot from the Voting Center and deliver it to them, provided the authorized person is at least 16 years old.

Health and Safety Measures

In compliance with current guidance from public health officials, the Department of Elections has adopted several new health and safety protocols at its in-person voting locations. The Department will offer hand sanitizer, gloves, and face masks to all voters and post notices asking voters and observers to observe health guidelines, including those regarding facial coverings, hand hygiene, and social distancing rules, at all in-person voting locations.

The Department will also introduce new sanitation and disinfection protocols for the voting supplies and equipment used at all in-person voting locations. The Voting Center and 588 polling places will be set up to maintain 6 foot distances between people in line, computer workstations, voting booths, and ballot return boxes. Although all voters will receive ballots by mail, voters can still use in-person services at the Voting Center or polling places. San Franciscans are reminded to wear a face covering when voting in person or dropping off their ballot to protect public health.

Voting Center

The Voting Center will provide ballots and services to all City residents who wish to pick up or drop off vote-by-mail ballots, register to vote (before or after the registration deadline), obtain personal assistance, use accessible voting equipment, obtain replacement ballots, or cast their ballots in person.

To protect the health of voters wishing to obtain in-person voting services during the 29-day early voting period, the Voting Center will be set up in the area outside of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on 99 Grove Street, between Polk and Larkin Streets.

The Voting Center will be open during the 29-day early voting period during these times:

• Every weekday, October 5 through November 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Two weekends, October 24 and 25, and October 31 and November 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (same voting hours as polling places).

To make their voting experience faster and safer, voters can use the Voting Locations and Wait Times Tool to check wait times at the Voting Center as they are planning their trip. With early voting opportunities available 29 days before Election Day, San Francisco encourages residents to vote as early as possible.

The Voting Center will also offer accessible voting tools such as page magnifiers, pen grips, and seated voting, as well as accessible ballot-marking devices with touchscreen/audio format and personal assistive device compatibility. Any voter may request to vote “curbside” at the Voting Center by calling (415) 554-4375 or by asking a companion to enter the voting center to request delivery of voting materials to the voter.