Election 2024: All our Orange County election information to help you vote

Southern California voters will make critical decisions in November, from the presidential contest to all the contenders vying for Congress, city council and school board seats. (Illustration by Jeffrey Goertzen, Orange County Reister/SCNG)

From the presidential contest to all the contenders vying for Congress, city council and school board seats to the bevy of statewide and local propositions appearing on the ballot, the Orange County Register will provide you with useful information so you can fill out your 2024 ballot.

Here you’ll find news stories and FAQs related to the November 2024 election in Orange County. If you don’t see it covered, be sure to ask your election-related questions using the form at the bottom of this page. And continue to check back here throughout this election cycle as we’ll keep this hub updated with the latest news on key races and answer questions.

Voting FAQs | U.S. Senate | Statewide propositions | Orange County’s Assembly and state Senate races | Orange County’s congressional races | Where to vote in Orange County | Orange County’s voting trends | Endorsements

Orange County’s Voter Guide

Every year, we compile a voter guide where you’ll find a list of candidates for U.S. Senate, Congress, State Senate, State Assembly, County Board of Supervisors, City Council and School Board races.

In it, you can click on candidates’ names to see responses to our questionnaire, including thoughts on the future of AI, the state of the economy and its impacts on Orange County and what the most important issues are today.

We also feature explainers on statewide and city-specific ballot measures in our voter guide.

Visit the Orange County Voter Guide here

Orange County’s voting trends

Curious how the November election is shaping up? At the Orange County Register, we cover voter opinion and trends extensively. You can read about some of groups we’ve covered here:

California propositions

Aside from the candidates on your ballot, there are also measures, or “propositions.” These propositions give voters the direct ability to weigh in on changes to California’s constitution, from repealing old laws to enacting new ones.

There are 10 statewide propositions on the ballot this year, ranging in issues from education funding to marriage equality, minimum wage increases to public safety. Here is a breakdown of what each statewide proposition on your ballot this year will do, along with information regarding who’s for and against it:

U.S. Senate

California voters this year will do something they rarely do: choose someone completely new to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.

Steve Garvey, a retired professional baseball player and a Republican, and Rep. Adam Schiff, a Burbank Democrat perhaps best known for taking on Donald Trump when he was still in the White House, are vying for the spot. The two men are contending for the seat that was long held by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, until her death in September 2023. Here’s our coverage on the race:

Orange County’s state Assembly and Senate seats

There’s only one state Senate seat up for grabs in Orange County this year, one with new district boundaries thanks to the decennial redistricting process.

Read our coverage on SD-37:

In contrast, all nine of the Assembly seats that touch Orange County are on ballots this year. Assembly terms are only two years, while members of the state Senate serve four-year terms.

A look at the state Assembly races on Orange County ballots this year:

Orange County’s congressional races

The party that controls the U.S. House of Representatives next year may very well be determined, in part, by congressional races in Orange County.

All six districts are on the ballot this year, but election analysts have pegged two as key races to watch: California’s 45th congressional district where incumbent GOP Rep. Michelle Steel faces Democrat Derek Tran, and the open 47th district where Democratic state Sen. Dave Min and former GOP Assembly leader Scott Baugh are battling for who will take over the seat being vacated by Rep. Katie Porter.

Read about the stakes: 

California’s 38th congressional district

CA-38 includes portions of Los Angeles and Orange counties, including La Habra. In the November election, voters will decide between Democrat incumbent Linda Sánchez or Republican Eric Ching.

Our latest coverage on CA-38:

California’s 40th congressional district

CA-40 includes western San Bernardino and Riverside counties and eastern Orange County, including Mission Viejo, Villa Park and Yorba Linda. In the November election, voters will decide between Republican incumbent Young Kim or Democrat Joe Kerr.

Our latest coverage on CA-40:

California’s 45th congressional district

CA-45 includes a portion of Los Angeles County and Orange County, including Buena Park, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Westminster. In the November election, voters will decide between Republican incumbent Michelle Steel or Democrat Derek Tran.

Our latest coverage on CA-45:

California’s 46th congressional district

CA-46, in just Orange County, includes Anaheim, Fullerton and Santa Ana. In the November election, voters will decide between Democratic incumbent Lou Correa or Republican David Pan.

Our latest coverage on CA-46:

California’s 47th congressional district

CA-47, in just Orange County, includes Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. In the November election, voters will decide between Democrat Dave Min or Republican Scott Baugh.

Our latest coverage on CA-47:

California’s 49th congressional district

CA-49 includes San Diego and Orange counties, including Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and San Clemente. In the November election, voters will decide between Democratic incumbent Mike Levin and Republican Matt Gunderson.

Our latest coverage on CA-49:

Key dates in Orange County’s 2024 election

Oct. 7: Orange County election officials will mail ballots to all registered voters by this dateOct. 7: Ballot drop boxes open in Orange CountyOct. 21: Last day to register to vote in CaliforniaOct. 26: Vote centers openNov. 5: Election Day (Ballots must be postmarked or dropped off by this day)

Where to vote in Orange County

With many opening as early as Monday, Oct. 7, nearly 200 places around Orange County are designated as secure places for voters who wish to drop off their ballot in person, rather than put it in the mail. You can find details here, or use our map below to locate the nearest Orange County ballot drop box or vote center to you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the deadline to register to vote in the November election in California?

The deadline to register to vote is 15 days before Election Day, often called E-15. For the November election, that makes the deadline Monday, October 21.

According to the secretary of state, you must submit the voter registration application by midnight on the registration deadline day. A timestamp will be attached to your online voter registration application. If you register to vote using a paper application, it must be postmarked or hand-delivered to your county elections office by E-15.

I’m not sure if I’m registered to vote. How do I check?

Check your voter registration by contacting the Orange County Registrar of Voters, checking at a vote center or visiting sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status.

If you’ve missed the deadline to register, you can still cast a ballot. Head to the county elections office (1300 South Grand Avenue, Building C, in Santa Ana), polling place or vote center to register and cast a conditional ballot. Those are “processed and counted once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process,” according to the secretary of state’s office.

Also read: Election 2024: Am I registered to vote? Here’s how Orange County voters can check

I’ve misplaced my ballot that I got in the mail a while ago. How can I still vote?

If you didn’t receive your ballot in the mail or it’s been lost or destroyed, you can get a replacement at the county elections office or a vote center, where you can also vote in person.

You can only request a replacement ballot for yourself. According to the secretary of state, requesting a replacement ballot for someone else is a criminal offense.

If you’ve still got your ballot, however, there are three ways you can cast it: Return it via the U.S. Postal Service (no postage is required, but it must be postmarked by Nov. 5), place it in a drop box around the county, or take it to a vote center.

When are vote centers open?

You can vote at any vote center in Orange County, which will be open these hours on the following days:

For vote center locations, check with the registrar of voters at ocvote.gov/voting to find out what’s open ahead of Election Day and when.

How do I track my ballot?

The secretary of state’s office has a “Where’s My Ballot” tracking tool. Found at california.ballottrax.net, you can input your name, date of birth and ZIP code to register for the service. It will tell you the status of your ballot, and you can sign up to receive information about your ballot’s process via email, text message or call.

The Orange County Registrar of Voters also has a tool that requires you to input your date of birth and the last four digits of your driver’s license, California ID or Social Security number. You can find that tool at ocvote.gov/vlt.

I got a notification about a missing signature on my ballot. What should I do?

Good news: You can fix a missing or mismatched signature on the ballot up until 5 p.m. two days before the county certifies election results. Counties are required to certify their election results and submit them to the secretary of state no later than Dec. 3, but when they expect to complete the process may vary by county office, and you should reach out to your local registrar.

If you get that notification, you can fill out a form to provide a signature and confirm that you voted your ballot, according to the secretary of state.

Also read:

Keep up with the November 2024 election

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest election news? Down Ballot is a curated newsletter breaking down how decisions made in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., impact Southern California, also providing a behind-the-scenes look at how local government is operating and keeping you up-to-date on the latest election news. To sign up, just go here and click on Down Ballot.

Endorsements

Our editorial board, separate from the newsroom, makes endorsements each election cycle. See endorsements here 

Ask us a question

If there’s anything that we haven’t answered here, let us know by filling out this form.

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