LIFE OF A VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT
- Vote-by-Mail ballots are mailed to registered voters in Orange County 29 days before an election.
- Undeliverable ballots will be returned to the ROV. Voters that do not receive their ballot may request a replacement at ocvote.gov/replacement.
- Voters vote their ballot, place in return envelope, and sign.
- Ballots are returned by mail, to an official ballot drop box, or to a Vote Center located throughout Orange County.
- Ballots returned at ballot drop boxes, Vote Centers, and by mail are collected by two-person teams, using strict tracking and chain of custody procedures.
- Ballots are stored in a secure location when returned to the Registrar of Voters' office.
- Returned ballot envelopes are scanned for signature verification and election participation history is recorded.
- Signature comparison is conducted for every returned ballot.
- If the signature does not compare, the voter is notified and may resolve the discrepancy by returning a signature verification statement.
- Once verified, the ballot is separated from its envelope and sorted.
- Ballots are unfolded, flattened, and prepared for counting.
- Ballots that are damaged or marked improperly and unable to go through the scanning process, will be duplicated.
- Ballots are scanned and reviewed for accuracy before being counted.
- In a secure room with limited physical access, votes are tallied on an "air-gapped" system.
- Audits and tests, including hand counts of randomly selected ballots, are performed before certifying the election to confirm the accuracy of the voting system results.