Frequently Asked Questions
How Do Results Come Into the Election Office on Election Night?
When the polls close at 8:00 p.m. the poll workers must print two paper tapes containing all the election results for their particular precinct. One paper tape gets posted on the outside of the polling place and one paper tape accompanies the Memory Pack back to the Elections Office.
The Memory Pack for each voting machine contains the vote totals for a given precinct. In order for the vote counting process to begin on Election Night the Memory Packs must make their way to the Election Office.
When the polls close and the tapes are created the designated persons bring the Memory Pack to one of 21 receiving stations. From there election officials drive groups of memory packs to the Election Office located at 40 Tower Road.
Receiving station staff unloads the equipment and supplies out of the Inspector's vehicle and transfers them immediately to a waiting truck which is staffed by San Mateo County Election staff. As each precinct supply box and Memory Pack are received they are scanned by a worker so that at any moment we know where boxes and Memory Packs are in the process.
As the truck departs for the Election Office the driver notifies election staff that they are enroute. Once the equipment arrives at the election office the truck is offloaded and the equipment is scanned in as having arrived. The live ballots will be sequestered into a secure location which is protected by various electronic systems.