Imperial County registrar outlines shift to Voter’s Choice Act, public hearing set for Sept. 4

Lindsey Dale, Imperial County Registrar of Voters, told the City of Imperial council the county will transition from a traditional polling‑place model to the Voter’s Choice Act (VCA) system and has drafted an election administration plan and outreach schedule. Dale said the county has secured grant funding to buy equipment and is targeting June 2026 to launch vote centers.

The VCA replaces the precinct‑based model with a system in which every active registered voter receives a vote‑by‑mail ballot, voters may cast ballots at any vote center in the county and vote centers are open for expanded periods (either four days or 11 days depending on the center). "Voters get to choose when, where, and how they vote," Dale said. She added the county has already installed eight secure ballot drop boxes and one in front of Imperial City Hall.

Why it matters: Dale said the VCA model reduces provisional ballots and speeds final results by allowing voters to use any vote center and by enabling election staff to void a mailed ballot on site when a voter casts a…