Thank you for your interest in this election. This document summarizes your rights and responsibilities as an Election Observer. For more information or additional assistance, please visit ocvote.gov/observe or call 714-567-7600.
Election Observers
Election Observers have a right to observe voting and election processes at Vote Centers and the Registrar of Voters’ office in Santa Ana. With your right comes a responsibility to be professional and respectful so as to not interfere with the voting and election process.
In-Person Observation Election Observers may:
• Observe from a designated area that does not interrupt election processes
• Observe the daily operations of a Vote Center, including opening and closing
• Observe the processing of mail ballots, including sorting, signature verification, collection and return operations, duplication, and scanning
• Observe audits while they are being conducted
• Challenge staff compliance with established procedures for handling mail ballots
• Observe vote tabulation at the Registrar of Voters
• Direct questions to a Vote Center lead or a designated Registrar of Voters supervisor
Observers are Responsible for:
• Checking in at each site, whether a Vote Center or the Registrar of Voters
• Maintaining a professional and respectful manner while observing
• Following established county observation rules/policies
Observers may NOT:
• Interfere in any way with the election process
• Assist in Vote Center operations or sit at or stand behind the check-in tables
• Touch election-related material, equipment, or election staff
• Communicate with Vote Center personnel who are presently engaged in a process
• Converse with or solicit voters (while standing in line to vote or within 100 feet of the Vote Center entrance, curbside voting location, or ballot drop box) regarding the casting of a vote or their qualifications to vote
• Talk in a loud voice, cause confusion, or congregate inside a Vote Center
• Use phones/cameras in a way that would violate the California Elections Code
• Challenge a Registrar of Voters’ staff determination that a signature on a mail ballot return envelope compares to a signature in the voter’s registration record