Orange County Registrar of Voters

Early Voting – 4 Ways to Vote & Results Posting Schedule

With less than a week left to vote in the 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election, voters have four easy and secure ways to cast their ballot by 8 p.m. on June 2.

Visit a Vote Center to vote an in-person ballot.

Place the Vote-By-Mail ballot into any official ballot drop box.

Use the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to return the ballot.

Drop the ballot off at any Vote Center.

Voters who plan to mail their ballot to the Registrar of Voters are encouraged to provide it to the USPS before Election Day. Ballot envelopes must be postmarked by June 2.

For more information on completing or casting a ballot, visit ocvote.gov/voting.

Vote Center Expansion

There are 39 full-service Vote Centers open today and tomorrow, Friday, May 29.

On Saturday, May 30, we will open an additional 152 Vote Centers throughout the county.

Vote Centers allow you to not only vote, but to solve voter registration issues, register to vote, get a replacement ballot, and receive general assistance.

You can visit any of our Vote Centers throughout the county – pick the one that is most convenient to you, whether it’s one close to where you live, work, shop, or play. 

To locate a Vote Center near you, visit ocvote.gov/votecenter. 

All Vote Centers in Orange County are ADA accessible and have ample parking. Language assistance is available at all Vote Centers as well.

You can also check projected wait times at each Vote Center at ocvote.gov/time. 

Bob Page
Registrar of Voters

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FAQ - How Secret Is Voting with So Many People Watching?

The California Constitution provides that all voters have a right to vote a secret ballot. State law also requires that all elections be conducted transparently, allowing anyone to observe the operation of Vote Centers, collection of ballots, and processing of ballots.

It is common for political parties, candidate campaigns, voter groups, and Congressional representatives to observe elections. Local and national media may also be present.

For the 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election, observers are welcome to follow the public observation calendar posted at ocvote.gov/observe.

During the 2024 Presidential General Election, more than 2,300 observers visited the Registrar of Voters from October 5 to December 2 to watch ballot processing. The most in one day was 400 observers.

All observers each election must follow the same rules, including limitations on their access.

To ensure voters can vote privately, free from intimidation from any observer, State law prohibits election observers from:

Threatening, intimidating, or coercing voters to dissuade them from voting

Obstructing access to a voting location or parking

Disrupting the election process

Photographing or filming a voter marking a ballot or entering or exiting a voting location with the intent to dissuade the voter from voting or if the voter feels intimidated

Within 100 feet of a voting location or of voters standing in line, asking voters about their eligibility to vote or encouraging voters to vote for or against any candidate or measure

Challenging a voter's eligibility to vote

Presenting false information to voters about voting

Touching ballots, election material, equipment, or staff

Entering secure areas without the express permission of the Registrar of Voters

Carrying a firearm or wearing the uniform of a peace officer or security personnel

Law enforcement and District Attorney investigators are available during in-person voting to respond quickly to violations of these State laws.

Election Security – Tracking Voter Participation

Registrar of Voters tracks voter participation data in near real time — it allows us to know when a voter has already checked in at a Vote Center or cast a Vote-By-Mail ballot.

This prevents a voter from successfully double voting and ensures a safe and secure election.

We use electronic voter rosters on poll books that contain every voter in the county. When a voter checks in at a Vote Center, that information is encrypted and securely transmitted to the county and state voter registration systems. This updated voter participation information is then securely transmitted to all poll books in use throughout the county.

This means that a voter who tries to vote a second ballot at a neighboring Vote Center will be detected before they get into their car to leave the first Vote Center.

When we start to process a Vote-By-Mail ballot, we also immediately give the voter election participation credit in the county and state voter registration systems, which is then securely transmitted to all poll books.

If the voter has already checked in and voted at a Vote Center when we start processing the voter's Vote-By-Mail ballot, the mail ballot will be challenged and set aside so it is not counted.

If a voter tries to check in at a Vote Center after we have started processing the voter's Vote-By-Mail ballot, the electronic voter roster on all poll books will show the voter already cast a ballot.

If the voter states they have not voted, we will allow them to vote a provisional ballot that is sealed in an envelope while we research whether they have cast two ballots.

We can also see in the state's voter registration system whether the voter has cast a ballot in another California county.

After each election, the Registrar of Voters' team reviews the documents for each voter who potentially tried to cast two ballots in the election. If we have a reasonable suspicion that a voter did try to vote twice, we refer those voters to the Orange County District Attorney for investigation and possible prosecution.

Conditional Voter Registration

Even if you missed the regular voter registration deadline, you can still vote in the 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election.

California permits same-day registration and voting, also known as Conditional Voter Registration.

New voters can fill out a conditional voter registration form in-person at the Registrar of Voters, 1300 S. Grand Avenue, Bldg. C, Santa Ana, or at any Vote Center.

After completing the conditional voter registration form, you will be issued a provisional ballot.

Before going to a Vote Center or our office to request a ballot, we encourage new voters who missed the registration deadline to register online, because it should help expedite the voting process when they arrive. Register to vote at ocvote.gov/registration.

If you have any questions on conditional voter registration and voting provisionally, visit our website at ocvote.gov/cvr or call our Voter Assistance Hotline at 714-567-7600 or 888-OCVOTES.