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Board approves Registrar of Voters contract package after hours of public objections over machines
Summary
After a long public comment period in which residents pressed the board to reject electronic voting machines and demand hand counting, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve items 62–67, a set of Registrar of Voters contracts and services.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously June 25 to approve a package of Registrar of Voters items, including maintenance and services contracts, after a large turnout of public commenters pressed the board to delay or reject the agreements and to consider hand‑counted paper ballots.
Dozens of speakers at the hearing told the board the county’s plans to extend contracts with vendors such as Hart InterCivic were financially and security‑wise unjustified. "Please vote no on item 62 and the rest of the ROV items on the agenda today," said Carolyn, a Santa Ana resident. Other speakers alleged their votes were not secure and urged the board to schedule evening hearings and create a citizen oversight committee to review equipment and procedures.
Registrar of Voters staff said state law constrains local options and explained the county’s verification process for in‑person voting. "Signature verification is required on ballots returned by mail. Upon presenting yourself as a voter in a vote center, we verify name and address on our voter roster," a registrar staff member told the board, noting that state legislation governs whether signatures may be checked at the polling place.
Board members acknowledged the public’s concerns but said county policy and state statutes limit local action. "State law trumps," the chair said during the discussion, adding that the county cannot unilaterally remove required equipment. The board moved and seconded one vote to take items 62–67 together; the motion carried without opposition.
The county’s procurement approvals include multi‑year maintenance and deployment steps the registrar outlined; staff said details on reimbursements and contract terms are available in the staff reports. Several speakers asked the board to pursue litigation or policy changes at the state level; supervisors encouraged continued public engagement and said staff would follow up to clarify mandates and storage logistics.
The board did not adopt any new election policy at the meeting; it approved the contract items and directed staff to continue communications with stakeholders. Members of the public who asked for a separate evening meeting or an independent citizen review were told staff would accept follow‑up requests for further engagement.
