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Thousands of SF mail-in ballots arrive in torn envelopes after USPS machine error

Thousands of SF mail-in ballots arrive in torn envelopes after USPS machine error

Built World San Francisco, CA local

Torn outer envelopes didn't invalidate ballots, and San Francisco's count is nearly done after the Nov. 3 election.

2 days ago: Department reports 5,094 more ballots counted, about 1,800 left

Overview

Updated Yesterday

San Francisco's Nov. 3 election is over, and the count is nearly finished. As of Nov. 9, the Department of Elections had about 1,800 ballots left to process, including roughly 900 vote-by-mail and 900 provisional ballots, which are cast at polling places and checked before counting. The department counted 5,094 more ballots that day and planned another results update at 4 p.m. on Nov. 10.

Torn outer envelopes from a Postal Service machine error in early October did not keep voters from returning ballots. The department had accepted 306,399 of 307,813 returned vote-by-mail ballots as of Nov. 7, out of 531,793 issued. Mailed ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 must arrive by Nov. 10; final certification is due by Dec. 3.

Why it matters

Torn envelopes tested confidence in mail voting, but San Francisco's count shows most returned ballots were accepted.

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Key Indicators

306,399
Vote-by-mail ballots accepted
Out of 307,813 returned and 531,793 issued, as of Nov. 7.
1,800
Ballots left to count
About 900 vote-by-mail and 900 provisional ballots remained as of Nov. 9.
5,094
Ballots counted in latest report
Vote-by-mail and provisional ballots added on Nov. 9.
531,793
Vote-by-mail ballots issued
The department's count for the Nov. 3 election, as of Nov. 7.
Thousands
Envelopes reported torn
The city has not published an exact count; damage was limited to outer envelopes.

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People Involved

John Arntz
John Arntz
Director, San Francisco Department of Elections
Overseeing the final count; about 1,800 ballots remained as of Nov. 9.
 Kristina Uppal
Kristina Uppal
USPS Spokesperson
Representing USPS on the ballot damage issue

Organizations Involved

San Francisco Department of Elections
San Francisco Department of Elections
Local government agency
Finishing the count after the Nov. 3 election; about 1,800 ballots remained as of Nov. 9.

The city agency that runs San Francisco elections; it mailed the Nov. 3 vote-by-mail packets and is finishing the count of returned ballots.
United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
Federal agency
Says election mail moved on time; San Francisco's remaining packets were handled by hand after the October tears.

The federal mail service whose mail-processing equipment tore the outer envelopes of some San Francisco ballot packets.

Timeline

October 2026 November 2026

12 events Latest: 2 days ago Showing 8 of 12
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  1. Department reports 5,094 more ballots counted, about 1,800 left

    Latest Measurement

    The tenth preliminary results report added 5,094 vote-by-mail and provisional ballots. The department estimated about 900 vote-by-mail and 900 provisional ballots remained.

  2. Accepted vote-by-mail ballots reach 306,399

    Measurement

    The department had issued 531,793 vote-by-mail ballots and received 307,813 back; 306,399 were accepted, 513 were in review and 901 were challenged.

  3. San Francisco has about 164,000 ballots left to count

    Measurement

    The Department of Elections said it still had to process about 154,000 vote-by-mail ballots and 10,000 provisional ballots. It had already reported nearly all ballots received before noon on Election Day.

  4. Election Day arrives with polls and drop boxes open

    Election

    Polls and the city's 37 drop boxes were open until 8 p.m. Mailed ballots needed a Nov. 3 postmark and had to arrive by Nov. 10.

  5. USPS reports 233 million election mail pieces

    Measurement

    The Postal Service said it delivered more than 233 million pieces of election mail in the current fiscal year with nearly 98% on-time delivery. About a quarter of voters in a poll said they would return ballots by mail, down from 31% in 2024.

  6. Voters urged to mail early or use drop boxes

    Advisory

    Citing changes to postal operations, election experts told voters to use official drop boxes or mail ballots at least a week before Election Day, and to ask for a same-day postmark at a post office counter.

  7. Ballot returns match 2022 midterm pace

    Measurement

    San Francisco voters had returned 57,757 ballots, 10.8% of registered voters, against 10.7% at the same point in 2022. GrowSF projects final turnout near 63%.

  8. Officials say extent of ballot damage still unknown

    Statement

    Reports say officials don't yet know how many of the more than 500,000 ballot packets were affected by the USPS equipment issue. Voters are advised to check ballot cards for damage.

  9. SFGate reports thousands of ballots damaged by machine

    News Report

    Bay Area News reports the Department of Elections will continue monitoring ballot mailings after thousands of envelopes arrive damaged.

  10. Torn envelope reports prompt SF elections advisory

    Statement

    Elections director John Arntz says USPS reported machine-caused tears in outer envelopes. USPS switches to manual processing of remaining ballot packets.

  11. SF announces mailing of more than 500,000 ballot packets

    Infrastructure

    The Department of Elections said on Oct. 1 that USPS would begin delivering more than 500,000 vote-by-mail packets, with packets arriving from Oct. 2. Processing equipment tore the outer envelopes on some packets.

  12. USPS reports strong ballot mail delivery

    Measurement

    The Postal Service says 97.98% of ballot mail was delivered on time through Oct. 9. It plans extra pickups and deliveries for ballots starting Oct. 24.

Scenarios

1

SF certifies Nov. 3 election with no ballots lost to damage

Likely Resolves by Dec 3, 2026

Discussed by: San Francisco Department of Elections director John Arntz, who says all ballots remain usable if inner contents are intact

The tears stay limited to outer envelopes. Voters check their packets, find all four ballot cards and the return envelope undamaged, and vote normally. The department certifies results with no unusual rejection rates and no reported ballot losses tied to the mechanical failure.

2

Multiple SF voters unable to use damaged mail ballots

Deadline passed (Nov 4, 2026)

Discussed by: KQED, which reported at least one voter with a torn inner return envelope; Mission Local, which documented citywide photos of torn packets

Some voters find damage to inner contents — ballot cards or return envelopes — and request replacements from the department. If the damage is widespread enough, voters who don't catch it may have ballots rejected, or may be forced to vote in person on Election Day.

3

USPS election mail handling draws formal review

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Not currently predicted by any named source; speculative based on national attention to postal election mail reliability

Advocacy groups or elected officials press for investigation into postal equipment damaging election mail. The USPS Office of Inspector General opens a formal review, or Congress holds a hearing on how postal machines handle thick ballot packets.

4

Torn-envelope ballots are counted at the same rate as intact ones

Likely Resolves by Dec 1, 2026

Discussed by: San Francisco Department of Elections, which says outer-envelope tears don't affect usability

After the count, the department's reconciliation shows no unusual rejection rate for voters whose outer envelopes arrived torn. Voters who found damage to the ballot cards or the return envelope requested replacements instead.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

August 2020

USPS warns states on 2020 ballot delivery (2020)

USPS sent letters to 46 states warning it could not guarantee on-time delivery of mail-in ballots for the November 2020 election, citing operational changes. Postal inspectors later reported worsening on-time delivery rates for first-class mail.

Then

States adjusted ballot deadlines, voters were urged to mail ballots early, and multiple lawsuits sought to restore USPS operational standards before Election Day.

Now

The incident cemented the USPS as a recurring risk factor in election administration and intensified national debate over vote-by-mail reliability.

Why this matters now

Shows USPS operational issues can disrupt election mail — the same vulnerability San Francisco voters are now confronting with torn envelopes.

November 2000

Florida butterfly ballot controversy (2000)

Palm Beach County's butterfly ballot design confused voters, some of whom unintentionally voted for the wrong candidate. The ballot errors helped trigger a statewide recount decided 5-4 by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Then

George W. Bush won Florida by 537 votes and the presidency. Palm Beach County retired the butterfly ballot.

Now

States overhauled ballot design and voting equipment. The episode showed how small ballot flaws can shake confidence in close elections.

Why this matters now

Like today's torn envelopes, a ballot flaw that raises doubts about whether votes count can matter far beyond the mechanics of the error.

Sources

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SFGate Mission Local KQED NBC Bay Area Particle We Are San Francisco GrowSF.org The San Francisco 21CPW NBC Right Now SF.gov The Bay Area Brief SFist El País English San Francisco Department of Elections GrowSF SF.gov The Bay Area Brief