San Francisco residents can vote starting today. Here’s how.

Today the San Francisco Department of Elections will begin processing ballots — those you mail in or those you fill out at City Hall.

Here's your guide!

Register to Vote

You have until Oct. 21 to register to vote by mail. You can do that on-line here . Or, visit the Department of Elections in the basement of City Hall and receive a mail-in ballot.

After Oct. 21, residents can still register to vote through Election Day on Nov. 5, but onlyin person at the City Hall Voting Center . It is open on weekdays and some weekends until the election. You can also register to vote and vote at a polling place on Nov. 5. You can find your assigned Election Day polling place here .

While non-U.S. citizens are not eligible to vote in the federal, state and most local races, they can vote in the San Francisco Board of Education election. They must have a child. You can register by filling out and submitting a form available here , or at City Hall.

Bilingual ballots are offered in English and Chinese, Spanish and Filipino. Voters can submit their choice of language online through the Department of Elections.

Vote or return your ballot on time

Here are the important dates

Drop off boxes for your ballot — all must be delivered by 8 p.m. Nov. 5.

Here is a link to the polling places open on Election Day, where you can also drop off a ballot or vote.

Inform yourself

For the first time ever in San Francisco, voters will be electing a mayor on the same day they elect a president. On top of that, voters will decide on many important ballot measures and races.

Here's what's on the ballot:

Candidate races :

President of the United States

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives

State Assembly

State Senate

Supervisors (for Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11)

Board of Education

BART Board

Community College Board

City Attorney

District Attorney

Ballot measures:

View the California voter information guide here and the San Francisco voter information guide here .

To view Mission Local's coverage on the election, check out our dashboard . On the mayor's race, follow our latest coverage here . On campaign finance, follow our latest coverage here .

If you have a supervisorial race in your district, you can click on this map and meet the candidates, or check out a weekly question series here .