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Orange County residents call for investigation and ask board to consider opting out of Voter’s Choice Act
Summary
Multiple residents at the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting urged the board to investigate apparent ballot‑count anomalies, criticized the Voter’s Choice Act and its operational impacts, and asked that the county consider returning to precinct voting.
At a public meeting, numerous Orange County residents urged the Board of Supervisors to investigate discrepancies they said appeared in recent election reporting and to consider opting out of the state’s Voter’s Choice Act.
Residents across several public‑comment turns alleged unexplained changes in ballot counts, criticized the scale of ballot duplication and signature‑verification processes, and called for a return to precinct‑based voting. “We wanna go back to precinct voting,” Daphne Ashbrook said, describing her observations at vote centers and alleging that some ballots stamped “received too late” were later counted. Roseanne, who identified herself as Orange County chair for New California State, said the county’s congressional reporting patterns “appear to be computer generated” and recommended immediate investigation.
Other commenters relayed specific numerical claims as part of their complaints. One speaker summarized several legal filings and alleged that eligible‑ballot counts had increased from “9,984” to “21,459,” calling the discrepancy “something is wrong.” Another commenter estimated that “somewhere in excess of 60,000 ballots will have to be duplicated” under state scanning mandates and argued the county had not sought reimbursement for the extra staff and material costs this required. These numbers and operational descriptions were presented by residents as observations or allegations; the board did not take formal action at the meeting to verify or adjudicate those figures.
Speakers also raised procedural concerns: observers described being told to be silent during signature‑verification checks, a commenter noted an absence of cameras in the ballot‑opening area at the Registrar of Voters, and others asked whether returning to in‑person precinct tallying would save taxpayer money and reduce processing delays. Carolyn of Santa Ana explicitly asked the board to place an agenda item to discuss opting out of the Voter’s Choice Act.
Board members did not announce any immediate investigatory steps during the meeting. CEO Gary McGeary briefed the public on a Dec. 12 strategic financial plan workshop, and the board proceeded to adjourn in memory of local public servants. The claims and requests made by public commenters were recorded on the public record; they remain allegations until verified by election officials or board action.
