Many voters in Orange County looking to vote in person are facing high wait times on election night, with some sites seeing times over 40 minutes at some locations.
As of 8:30 p.m., 29 voting polls had wait times between 20 and 40 minutes and 40 had wait times over 41 minutes, according to the Nov. 3, 2026 General Election Orange County, CA Wait Time Dashboard website.
“I was supposed to go to church; I thought this process would be quick,” said Marie Chuy Lucatero, 53, a Santa Ana resident waiting for over an hour in the Registrar of Voters line in central Santa Ana.
“Our vote is so important; you think one vote doesn’t make a difference, but it does… also, voting in person gives Election Day some flavor.”
Bob Page, OC Registrar of Voters, confirmed the polls started to see an increase of voters between 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
He noted that the difference in this Election Day compared to prior years is how long the ballot is, leaving voters to spend more time marking their ballots.
Polls in California closed at 8 p.m., but if a voter joined the line before that time, they’re allowed to vote, as long as they don’t leave the line.
“If they (voters) were in line by 8 p.m., don’t leave. We will make sure they can cast their ballot,” Page said in a Tuesday text message.
Not all site wait times are recently updated.
Santa Ana resident Monica Herrera, 26, who had been waiting in line for 40 minutes, said she was waiting in line to vote for better leadership in Santa Ana, especially amid the ICE raids.
Herrera, who left her nanny job early today to have time to vote, said, “It will be worth the wait.”
Sara Leon is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. You can reach her at admin@voiceofoc.org
Michelle King is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. You can reach her at admin@voiceofoc.org
