From mid-July to the end of the month, the Orange County Registrar of Voters held 15 workshops in 15 cities in Orange County to listen to residents’ opinions on future election policies for the next four years. Four of the workshops were conducted in Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese, while five were bilingual workshops in Japanese, Hindi, and English.
In 2016, the California legislature passed the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) aiming to simplify the voting process and increase voter turnout, especially among communities of color and young people. Since its implementation, the voting and counting process has become longer, and election costs have increased.
The VCA law defaults to mailing ballots to all voters, using fewer Vote Centers instead of traditional polling places, allowing voters to choose any Vote Center and vote early (some Centers allow voting 10 days in advance, others 3 days), and requires unmanned drop boxes to be provided 28 days before the election day.
While 26 counties in California still use traditional polling stations, three use an All-Mail system, and 29 counties use the VCA method. Major counties like Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, and San Francisco employ the VCA. In 2019, Orange County officials adopted the VCA for the first time, updated it in 2021, and in 2025, four years later, they need to review the VCA plan for the next four years.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page introduced that according to the Voter’s Choice Act, every four years, they need to consult with the community on election management plans, educate the public on the voting process, and provide reliable voting services. The law requires a 214-day online public review period and a public hearing to be held. A public hearing will be held at the Irvine City Hall on September 25th.
Apart from the legal minimum requirements, Page said, “I believe we need to do more.” Before drafting any plans for public review, they hold a series of community meetings to gather resident feedback. They also invite over 250 organizations for one-on-one meetings to provide input.
The election center’s van is equipped with display boards, materials, and equipment for the workshops, with around thirty staff members accompanying each session. Page said, “We are committed to engaging with the community, promoting these workshops, and sending workshop information and materials in residents’ preferred languages based on received mail preferences.”
To gather resident opinions, five “feedback stations” were set up in the workshop, including polling place, accessibility pathways, language services, voter education and outreach, and safety and emergency measures. People could provide feedback orally, in writing, through surveys, or contact the election center via phone or online.
Orange County residents are highly engaged in the elections, with a significant turnout at each workshop. Despite not always receiving satisfactory answers, participants attend to listen and ask questions, expressing desires like using voter IDs, voting and counting on the same day rather than over a month.
Staff members like Melissa at the election center mentioned that polling places are chosen based on legal requirements, venue availability, and accessibility facilities. All voting centers have electronic registration stations to ensure voters can vote in-person, privately, and independently, and also register, update, and replace ballots.
Orange County’s Voter Education and Outreach Program focuses on building partnerships with universities to engage newly eligible young voters and provide multilingual information, including sign language. Voters who wish to vote from home can use the remote mail-in voting system, and the election website provides addresses of all voting centers and drop boxes.
The Safety and Emergency Team aims to protect voter data and equipment, ensuring the fairness and security of the election process. The team cooperates with various levels of agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to respond to emergencies. An event response plan includes how to continue the election in case of interruption, system backups, and trained emergency personnel at each voting center.
The Language Assistance Program includes bilingual staff, translated materials, and language assistance at all voting centers. Voters can seek help through video calls, phone calls, and other means while voting.
At the workshop in Mission Viejo on July 29th, residents expressed concerns about the return to traditional election methods, asking questions such as voter ID requirements, voting on election day, and same-day ballot counting. Since 2021, residents have voiced similar demands at the Orange County Board of Supervisors meetings.
Why can’t we vote on election day like other parts of the US? Page explained, “First, the Orange County Board of Supervisors made a decision in 2019 that all future elections will be conducted according to the Voter’s Choice Act.” The one-month counting time frame is set by the Secretary of State’s office.
“If we return to election day voting, voters will be assigned to specific locations, and the number of provisional ballots will increase, slowing down the counting process,” Page said. In 2018, election results were certified on the 24th day after the election, but now it can be completed between the 21st and 23rd day, respecting the state legislatures’ rules.
However, some residents have different views on the VCA method. They believe that the initial VCA voting plan proposed by former Registrar Neil Kelly in 2019 was meant to be innovative but lacked adequate promotion, leading to concerns from groups and residents. Promises about cost savings and election security were proven inaccurate – for instance, the election budget increased by 77%, including costs of over 120 staff members costing over $180,000, vehicle rentals over $100,000, and printing and mailing costs of over $726,000. Additionally, over 800 polling places were replaced with voting centers, but voter turnout decreased.
The Voter’s Choice Act does not require all counties in California to comply; thus, changing the VCA voting method would require a resolution from the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
Instances of non-citizens voting in elections have occurred in California and Orange County, raising concerns on how to verify citizenship without voter IDs. Many non-citizens in California have legal driver’s licenses.
As of now, Orange County has around 1.9 million registered voters. Page mentioned, “Federal and California laws require voters to self-prove their citizenship under penalty of perjury, and under state law, I don’t have the authority to conduct any additional verification.”
In April, the House of Representatives passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, but faced opposition from almost all Democratic members, and it is currently under Senate review. Page noted, “The bill requires voters to show proof of citizenship every time they register or update their registration in my office, but the proposal lacks many details.”
Adopting the VCA method has also increased the process of transporting and verifying mail-in ballots, which includes opening envelopes, ballot extraction, signature verification, contacting challenged voters, and waiting for responses. While some people mistrust the security of mail-in ballots, it offers convenience as voters can fill out their ballots at home and drop them off at any passing ballot box within about a month, as California law does not require in-person voting.
Page said, “In the ballots mailed out for the November 2024 election, only 1.7% of Orange County’s ballots were undelivered, higher than the average undeliverable rate of 0.5% for first-class mail nationwide, and we are doing our best.”
Several residents who were asked expressed that they had gained insight during the workshops and were pleased to engage with election staff, but some felt frustrated at the difficulty of effecting change.
Susan Stivers, Chair of the Orange County’s 71st District Republican Council, stated, “Since the implementation of the Voter’s Choice Act in 2019, there has been an additional $10 million spending compared to before the district-by-district voting system, including increased construction costs and personnel costs for all voting centers. While they have made the voting system more convenient and flexible, it has also revealed many loopholes.”
“On the California voter registration website, it’s easy to register as a voter without providing citizenship proof,” Stivers mentioned. “There is a loss of trust in the election system, and we have provided a voter list to data analysts, finding many non-citizens and fraudulent voters.”
A resident shared that the election center claimed to clean up voter rolls before each election, but after her neighbor moved out three years ago, the mail-in ballot was still sent to them. Another resident felt it was like a third-world country, with the election process being too extended, involving signature verifications, address checks, and comparing signatures on driver’s licenses. “We have made persistent appeals, but they are not taken seriously.”
In conclusion, the various perspectives and concerns raised during the workshops and feedback mechanisms have shed light on the ongoing efforts to ensure a fair and secure election process in Orange County. Residents and officials alike continue to engage in dialogue and scrutiny to address challenges and enhance the electoral system for the benefit of all voters.