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SANTA ANA, Calif. () — With less than a week before Election Day, operations are intensifying at the Orange County Registrar of Voters, where ballots are collected and ultimately counted.
During a tour of the facility, Orange County Registrar of Voters’ Bob Page outlined how ballots from vote centers and drop boxes are securely transported and processed.
“This is where ballots that have been cast at our vote centers that have been open since Saturday, May 23, paper ballots, will come back here,” Page said.
Page said teams responsible for collecting ballots from drop boxes use tracking and communication tools to ensure security during transport.
“The team that’s managing them is watching GPS locations, they’ve got radios,” he said.
Once ballots arrive at the facility, each envelope undergoes verification to ensure the voter’s signature matches the one on file.
Page said processing is taking longer this election cycle due in part to the length of the ballot, which he said is about three inches longer than usual because of the number of candidates running for governor.
“Because of the 17-inch ballot, and people not folding it the way it was sent to them, we are finding that some ballots may be sliced by the extracting machine, so we’re making sure there’s no damage at this step,” Page said.
Election Assistance Commission Commissioner Christy McCormick said transparency in the process is key to maintaining public trust.
“Understanding how the process works goes a long way towards supporting voter confidence in our election outcomes,” McCormick said.
McCormick added Orange County’s operations are viewed as a model for election offices nationwide.
“This jurisdiction is consistently at the forefront for ideas, innovation and excellence, and constantly works to improve election procedures and processes,” she said.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer also emphasized election integrity, reminding the public of a hotline to report suspicious activity at (714) 721-7578.
“If you cheat, we’re going to catch you,” Spitzer said.
Spitzer said over the past eight years, his office has filed four voter fraud electioneering cases against individuals.
County officials also addressed voting access for residents affected by a recent crisis in Garden Grove, saying accommodations have been made to ensure those who were ordered to evacuate can still cast ballots.
“Working with the county EOC and the Registrar of Voters, we made sure that those individuals have access to their ballots, and we brought them to them at the shelters,” said Orange County First District Supervisor Janet Nguyen.
As Election Day approaches, officials say they are focused on both securing ballots and ensuring all eligible voters have the opportunity to participate.
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