On October 31, 2026, voters in Orange County, Southern California, gained access to 151 polling centers. This was in addition to the 39 polling centers that had previously opened on October 24, bringing the total to 190 locations for voters to choose from for casting their ballots. Recently, some individuals reported receiving SMS messages about their ballots, prompting election officials to warn about potential text message scams.
The 190 polling centers in Orange County are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Election Day on November 3. On that day, the polling center at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) will also be operational, with all polling locations open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
According to the Orange County Election Office, there are approximately 1.972 million registered active voters in the county. As of 7 p.m. on November 1, about 588,000 ballots had been returned, with roughly 552,000 of those submitted by mail or placed into convenient ballot drop boxes. About 46,000 ballots were sent via mail submitted at polling centers, and fewer than a thousand voters cast their votes in person at polling locations. The ballots returned account for approximately 31.1% of the total, but typically midterm election turnout can reach as high as 70%.
Historically, polling places see the highest turnout on Election Day itself. Valid ballots received during the early voting period will be included in the first report of election results, scheduled for release on November 3 at 8:05 p.m.
Over the years, the Orange County Election Office has established a straightforward process for voting: First, report your name and address to the staff; second, fill out your choices on the ballot or select and print your paper ballot using the “AutoWriter” machine; third, scan your paper ballot.
Outside various polling centers in Orange County, signs display a clear message: “Election activities are prohibited within 100 feet of the polling center.” This serves as a reminder to avoid undue influence, allowing voters to cast their ballots freely and according to their own preferences.
For those who have already filled out their mail-in ballots at home, the second step can be skipped; they can simply scan their completed mail-in ballot directly at the polling center. Resident Jenny brought her completed ballot to the polling center. Even with two people ahead of her in line, she was able to complete her voting in just a few minutes.
Staff member Ronald explained that typically, a polling center will have four registration stations (with computer equipment), three “AutoWriter” machines, and two scanning devices—a ratio that has been carefully calculated. The registration equipment is connected to a network and can retrieve voters’ districts based on their names and addresses, printing ballots for those who may not have brought their mail-in ballots. Meanwhile, the “AutoWriter” machines and scanners are not connected to the internet, but the “AutoWriter” can assist users by enlarging the font or reading aloud the content on the ballot, providing help to those who need it.
“Every night, all (returned mail-in or scanned) ballots are sent back to the Orange County Election Center, with two people accompanying the transport,” Ronald noted. The polling centers offer services in Spanish, Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese, and assistance in additional languages can be reached by calling the Election Center on-site.
With over a decade of experience in election work, Ronald remarked, “It’s much more convenient now than in the past. You can vote at any polling center in Orange County without needing to go to a designated polling place near your home.”
One voter shared her experience, stating that she had submitted her ballot in a mail envelope into a drop box three days prior. Today, she received a message saying, “Your ballot has not yet been recorded,” but she checked the official Orange County election website (OC Vote) and confirmed that her ballot had indeed been received.
In response to this, Ronald advised people to be cautious about messages claiming things like “your neighbors have already voted in the thousands, while your ballot is still at home.” If you have already voted, do not fall victim to such scams.
He emphasized the importance of avoiding clicking any links within these messages, as they may be attempts to collect personal information. The California Secretary of State and the Orange County Election Center both offer ballot tracking programs: by registering on the BallotTrax website, voters can receive automatic notifications regarding the status of their ballots via email, text messages, or voice calls. The official website of the Orange County Election Center, known as Your Voter Information, allows voters to register, download ballot samples, find their districts, and track their ballots and candidates’ vote counts.