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Countdown to Voting – Vote-By-Mail Printing

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Voting for the November 3, 2026 General Election will open in 20 days.

A Vote-By-Mail ballot will be mailed to all Orange County voters starting no later than Monday, Oct. 5, marking the start of the voting period.

Registrar of Voters (ROV) has started to print about 1.9 million ballots for this election.

Orange County Printing & Graphics department is certified by the Secretary of State to print Vote-By-Mail ballots. OC ROV is the only Registrar in California with this certification, which must be renewed every two years.

Printing ballots in-house enables ROV to better ensure the quality and security of Vote-By-Mail ballots. To learn more, you can watch our video “A Deeper Look – How Ballots Are Securely Printed and Distributed” on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/ocrov.



Bob Page
Registrar of Voters
 
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Young Voter Signatures
Young Voter Signatures

If voters change how they sign their name after they register to vote, their Vote-By-Mail ballots may not be counted. This is especially true for young voters.

In the 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election:

  • More than 5% of young Vote-By-Mail voters in Orange County voting in their first Statewide Direct Primary Election (ages 18 to 21) had their ballots challenged — the highest rate of any age group
  • Only 18% of these young Orange County voters cured a challenge to their Vote-By-Mail ballot — the lowest rate of any age group

The potential reasons young voters' Vote-By-Mail ballots are challenged at a high rate:

  • The only signature in the young voter’s registration file may be the electronic finger or stylus signature provided to the DMV
  • The young voter may not have perfected their signature until after registering to vote
  • The young voter carelessly scribbled their signature when registering to vote or on their Vote-By-Mail ballot envelope not realizing the importance of accuracy and consistency

Sign your ballot envelope the way you signed your voter registration. If your signature has changed, update it now at ocvote.gov/registration so your ballot is not challenged.

If your ballot is challenged, we will mail you a cure statement and contact you by email or phone if you provided that information when you registered. Return the signed statement as soon as you receive it — voters who cure before Election Day are more likely to have their ballot counted.
How to Observe
How to Observe

Transparency is built into California election law. Anyone may observe the operation of Vote Centers, the collection of ballots, and the processing of ballots. ROV invites you to observe the November 3, 2026 General Election firsthand.

All pre-election testing of election equipment, ballot processing, counting, testing and audits take place at the Orange County ROV office, 1300 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana. Observers are also welcome to visit Vote Center and Ballot Drop Box locations throughout the county to observe daily operations.

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

All observers 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

Short videos explaining observable election processes are available on our Election Observation Page and YouTube channel at youtube.com/ocrov.

To learn more about the observation process, review the Public Notice of Observation Schedule and Observer Guidelines Handbook, or view the schedule, visit ocvote.gov/observe.
Language Assistance for Voters
Language Assistance for Voters

All election materials including ballots and the County Voter Information Guides are available in English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. ROV can also provide reference ballots in Farsi, Hmong, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Nepali, Punjabi and Tagalog for certain qualifying precincts.

Voters will be able to receive assistance in all of these languages and American Sign Language from bilingual customer service representatives or through video conferencing and/or by phone at all Vote Centers.

Translated reference ballots for eligible precincts will be available at all Vote Centers.

Vote-By-Mail ballots will be mailed to all Orange County voters starting no later than Monday, Oct. 5, and County Voter Information Guides are mailed separately beginning Sept. 24. Both will arrive in the language you selected on your voter registration.

You may request a ballot or a reference ballot in a language other than English at ocvote.gov/vlt.
Election Integrity Takes a Community
Election Integrity Takes a Community

ROV hires about 1,400 members of the community to ensure the November 3, 2026 General Election is accessible, secure, and accurate.

They are your neighbors, friends, and relatives. A large percentage of them are bilingual to assist all Orange County voters.

ROV screens all election worker candidates from the community and hires them as County employees. We provide extensive online and in-person training to our election workers to make sure your voting rights are protected, and your vote is counted.

Our community election workers help us to:

  • assess all Vote Centers and new Ballot Drop Box locations for ADA compliance
  • program and test all election equipment to ensure the software has not been modified and performs accurately
  • print 1.9 million ballots and prepare them for mailing
  • staff Vote Centers and our toll-free Voter Assistance Hotline
  • collect ballots from drop boxes
  • verify voter signatures on Vote-By-Mail ballots
  • scan ballots
  • audit the accuracy of the election results before we certify
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