Mail-in ballots are available, and we have important decisions to make beyond voting for president, such as those related to housing, police staffing and surveillance in San Francisco.

What's happening: If you haven't received your ballot yet, expect it this week, the city's elections department says. And beginning today, you can vote in person at City Hall.

• On election day, March 5, you can vote at your neighborhood polling place.
• We've broken down every local ballot measure so you can head into this election informed.

Proposition A: Affordable housing bonds

• Asks voters whether the city should issue $300 million in bonds to fund affordable housing construction amid San Francisco's state mandate to build more than 46,000 affordable homes by 2031.

Proposition B: Police staffing aka "cop tax"

• A controversial measure that aims to set minimum staffing levels for the city's police department, potentially diverting tax revenues from other sources or creating a new tax.
• Proponents say the measure would help the police department address staffing shortages, while critics such as former police spokesperson and current city Supervisor Matt Dorsey argue that "a fully staffed SFPD should be a baseline expectation for the taxes you already pay — not a fee-for-service add-on."
• Opponents also argue that police staffing levels have little impact on reducing crime.

Proposition E: Police surveillance and vehicle pursuits

• Another controversial measure would enable the police to chase people suspected of committing felonies or misdemeanors, use drones for car chases, and install public surveillance cameras with facial recognition technology.
• Proponents argue the measure would help police prevent and solve crime, while opponents say that police chases are dangerous and that surveillance tech unjustly targets communities of color.

Proposition F: Drug screening for people receiving public assistance

• If passed, anyone who receives financial benefits from San Francisco's County Adult Assistance Program could be subject to drug screening.
• Opponents call the measure "dangerous and punitive," while proponents argue it would help get people into drug treatment programs.

Learn about the other ballot measures

San Francisco is undertaking new efforts to bring historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to the downtown area, eventually launching a satellite campus partnership with HBCU institutions.

Why it matters: Part of a more significant economic revitalization push in the city, the initiative comes as HBCUs across the U.S. look for expansion opportunities to serve better Black students, who will be most adversely impacted by last year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling against race-conscious admissions.

Details: Black 2 San Francisco, an initiative led by the city's Human Rights Commission, will begin hosting HBCU programming this summer.

• The University of San Francisco will offer student housing accommodations, while San Francisco State University will provide classroom space.
• The University of California at San Francisco will also collaborate with HBCUs to expand mental health mentoring, training and internships for students in the program.

Of note: The proposal for a physical satellite HBCU campus in San Francisco was one of the 150-plus formal recommendations issued by the city's reparations committee last year.

• Community members have said the proposal could also help draw more Black residents to the city, which has seen its Black population consistently decline in every census count since 1970.

Go deeper

🌮 The team behind Original Joe's is opening a new Mexican American restaurant today called Elena's, located on West Portal Avenue. (SF Chronicle)

🥑 If you've been aching to spend $50 on avocado toast, Cow Hollow's Avotoasty will soon have you covered. (SF Standard)

🚴 The city's transportation department is considering making changes to the controversial center-running bike lane on Valencia Street. (SF Chronicle)

When the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs play in Las Vegas on Sunday, a record 200.5 million U.S. adults will tune in to watch, according to estimates by the National Retail Federation.

What's happening: If you'd like to catch the game in good company, there will be a host of watch parties across the Bay.

• That includes programming at Mayes Oyster House, The Grand Nightclub, Skylark, Line 51 Brewing and Fuze Nightclub.
• Make sure to avoid Buzzworks in SoMa, though. The bar is hosting a watch party for Chiefs fans only.

Of note: Fans can also watch the game on CBS, CBS.com, the CBS app and Paramount+, Axios' Analis Bailey writes.

• An alternate broadcast on Nickelodeon will be geared toward children, with special guests including SpongeBob SquarePants and slime special effects.

Tell a friend

Experience the wonders of beloved animated films like "Toy Story," "Up" and more at the first fully Pixar-themed hotel in the U.S. — now open in Anaheim.

Why it matters: The 15-story hotel overlooking Disney California Adventure Park celebrates the artistry of Pixar Animation Studios, which is headquartered in the Bay Area.

Details: "The different spaces in the hotel tell the story of how art and technology come together in the process of making Pixar films," Tasha Sounart, Pixar Animation Studios' theme park creative director, said in a press release.

• Sounart noted that it starts in the lobby with a mobile representing minimalist character sketches and continues through the rear entry hallway murals, showing how animation thumbnails evolve into wireframes.
• Amenities include a sketch pad cafe, an outdoor games venue highlighting Pixar short films, a rooftop pool area with a "Finding Nemo"-themed splash pad, and a play court.

What to watch: The hotel plans to offer two themed signature suites in 2024, paying homage to "Coco" and "The Incredibles."

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