Announcments

BASF Plebiscite for San Francisco District Attorney

BASF must hold a plebiscite of attorney members whenever there is a contested election for San Francisco District Attorney, under Art. IV, Section 4.14 and Schedule 2 of its By-Laws.

The purpose of the plebiscite is to ascertain and publish the views of BASF’s members.  BASF will only “endorse” a candidate in a three or more candidate contest if one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes and the ballots of at least one-third of those eligible to vote are returned.  In all cases, BASF will report the percentage of the eligible votes returned and the number of votes received by each candidate. 

Read the statements prepared for BASF members by each candidate:

District Attorney BASF Plebiscite and General Election Schedule

(note that all times are Pacific Time)

• August 12: Deadline for candidates to file for San Francisco District Attorney
• August 31: Final date attorney members may join BASF and be eligible to vote
• August 31: Paper ballots must be requested by eligible members [with email addresses] by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Please contact Ann Murphy at amurphy@sfbar.org or 415-782-9000 x8792.
• September 7: Candidates forum in the BASF Conference Center from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
  Watch the video of the San Francisco District Attorney's Forum
• September 8: Plebiscite is mailed and emailed to eligible BASF members and posted on www.sfbar.org. Voting begins electronically and by mail.
• September 23: Voting period ends at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Paper ballots must be received in the BASF office by this date and time.
• September 27: Plebiscite results released to members and to the press
  
• November 8: Election for District Attorney

FAQs

Who can vote in BASF’s plebiscite?

Attorney members of The Bar Association of San Francisco as of August 31, 2011, are eligible to vote in BASF’s 2011 San Francisco District Attorney plebiscite.

When is the voting period?

Voting is open for a two week period beginning at 6:00 a.m. Thursday, September 8 through 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 23, 2011.  Paper ballots must be received in the BASF office by Friday, September 23, 2011 by 5:00 p.m.

What are my options for voting?

Attorney members with email addresses on file with BASF may vote online using a unique identifier which will be sent from BASF on September 8, 2011.  Any attorney member with an email may elect to vote using a paper ballot by requesting one from Ann Murphy at 415-782-9000 x8792 or amurphy@sfbar.org by August 31, 2011.

Attorney members who do not have an email on file with BASF will be automatically mailed a paper ballot on September 8, 2011.  Completed printed ballots may be mailed or delivered to Ann Murphy, The Bar Association of San Francisco, 301 Battery Street, Third Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111 by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 23, 2011.

Is my online vote secure? 

BASF’s Plebiscite Committee has selected an online voting vendor who is an expert in high security online voting.  The vendor is meticulous about all aspects of security and risk management, including voter authentication, data protection, vote integrity, secure anonymous voting and server reliability. For more information, contact Ann Murphy at 415-782-9000 x8792 or amurphy@sfbar.org.

Is BASF holding a debate between the candidates?

The Plebiscite Committee, with the assistance of BASF's Criminal Justice Advisory Council, held a forum on Wednesday, September 7 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. in the BASF Conference Center. The forum was co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and is open to the public and is free of charge.

Who is overseeing the BASF plebiscite process?

All aspects of the plebiscite process are being overseen by the Plebiscite committee appointed by BASF President Priya Sanger.  David J. Tsai, an attorney with Perkins Coie LLP, is the chair of the ten-person committee.  See the committee members.

When will the results of the plebiscite vote be made public?

BASF will only “endorse” a candidate in a three or more candidate contest if one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the votes and the ballots of at least one-third of those eligible to vote are returned.  If these requirements are not met, BASF will release the percentage of the eligible votes returned and the number of votes received by each candidate.

The results will be made public on Tuesday, September 27, 2011.

When is the filing date for candidates for San Francisco District Attorney?

Friday, August 12, 2011 at 5:00 p.m.

How can I learn more about the candidates?

BASF held a candidates forum on Wednesday, September 7, 2011.  Candidates had the opportunity to provide a statement of their qualifications and their reasons for running for the office of San Francisco District Attorney.  These statements are posted below and will be part of the online and print ballots.

Read the statements prepared for BASF members by each candidate:

I have moved.  How do I change my contact information with BASF?

Please use BASF’s “Change Information Update” form. Changes must be made by August 31, 2011 to be valid for the plebiscite voting. 

What if I receive a paper ballot and also get instructions for voting online?
Attorney members may cast only one vote in the plebiscite. If you get both a printed ballot and online instructions, please contact Ann Murphy at amurphy@sfbar.org or 415-782-9000 x8792. If two ballots are cast by one attorney member, both ballots will be destroyed and neither vote will count.

Committee Members

If you have any questions about BASF’s plebiscite voting for San Francisco District Attorney, please contact Ann Murphy at amurphy@sfbar.org or 415-782-9000 x8792.