Orange County Hits the Polls

Orange County residents this week made their voices heard by elected officials across federal, state and local governments.

With over a million registered voters, Orange County is a highly competitive place for federal and state races, mainly between a host of Republicans, Democrats, as the county becomes more purple, as opposed to what used to be solid red territory.

According to the OC Registrar of Voters, nearly 36% of the county’s 451,411 voters are registered Democrats, while 34% are Republican. Nearly a quarter of the district’s voters are No Party Preference.

With many of the races are still to be determined, initial results are showing close races between some candidates, keeping many watching closely, as many of the ballots are still being counted.

To see the latest updates visit our 2022 Election Coverage.

Local elections can change the quality of life for many, according to some of the voters, and many understand the importance of voting and how civic engagement can impact their communities.

Here is what Orange County looked like on Tuesday:

Rubie Barreia, 21, researched with her sister in preparation to cast her ballot inside the OC Registrar of Voters voting center in Santa Ana on election night. Barreia said she was mostly focused on the propositions for the midterm election. (Omar Sanchez / Voice of OC)

“We are the voice of our community. We have the power to decide what happens in our city,” says Louis Contreras, 26, of Irvine, drops off his ballot at the Irvine City Hall voting center in Irvine, Calif. on Nov. 8, 2022.
Photo Credit: Amir Ghani, Voice of oc

Voters make their way inside the Salgado Community Center in Santa Ana to cast their ballots on Nov. 8, 2022. (Omar Sanchez / Voice of OC)

“We want our jobs here in America and to lower our taxes,” says Yolanda Rupp of San Clemente at the San Clemente Community Center on Nov. 8, 2022.
photo credit: amir ghani, voice of oc