Keep in mind that, in tight races particularly, the winner may not be known for days or weeks after Election Day. That's because early voting and mail-in ballots have fundamentally reshaped how votes are counted and when election results are known.
Several Orange County races are inching closer to being called. Incumbent Orange County District 2 Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento took to Instagram to thank voters for delivering 63% of the vote as of last count. (And, yet another reminder, votes are still being counted...)
By contrast, his colleague, incumbent Orange County District 5 Supervisor Katrina Foley might have to face a runoff. The seat held by the Democrat is seen as vulnerable. And challenger (and state assemblymember) Diane Dixon, a Republican, took the lead in Wednesday's latest count. This race looks so close that a November runoff seems all but guaranteed.
Thursday's vote drop could clear up any lingering doubts in races across SoCal, so stay tuned. Here's how other races are playing out cross Orange County:
Our limited-run newsletter Make It Make Sense unpacks the ballot count and results, then checks in regularly on officials voted into office and the measures voters pass.
Claude Parrish has served as Orange County assessor since 2015, but his tenure has been marred by a workplace misconduct investigation that found he violated gender discrimination and retaliation policies and harassed a subordinate over her medical disability. He was challenged by Janet Conklin, who is running to unseat him while facing her own allegations of misconduct.
If one candidate wins 50% plus one vote, he or she will be elected. If no candidate receives more than 50%, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff in the November general election.
Residential and business properties in Orange County are valued at over $850 billion. Taxes from those properties help fund county services like parks and the Sheriff’s Department. The assessor determines the taxable value of properties and who gets exemptions.
This is one of the few races on the ballot that is all but officially decided. Incumbent Andrew N. Hamilton was unopposed. He was first elected as Orange County’s auditor-controller in 2022. He has about 35 years of experience as a certified public accountant in the public and private sectors.
The Auditor-Controller keeps track of the county’s financial records and makes sure departments are using funds correctly and following laws, policies and contract requirements. The auditor-controller will have to make sure that no dollar goes to waste as the county deals with shrinking support from the federal government and its obligations to fund payouts from the 2024 Airport Fire.
The five trustees who make up the board serve as an appeals committee for students who want to transfer districts and for students who are expelled, rule on charter school appeals and approve the county Department of Education’s budget.
Orange County Board of Education seats are determined in the primary in a "winner-take-all" or "plurality" election. That means whoever has the most votes wins — even if they don't have more than 50%.
The Orange County superintendent of schools is the chief executive of the county’s Department of Education, which provides support to districts, as well as fiscal oversight. Orange County has nearly a half million students in its public education system across 28 school districts. Those districts, like many across the state, have been struggling with budgets amid declining student enrollment.
This is one of the few races on the ballot that is all but officially decided. Stefan Bean, a former charter school president, is running unopposed.
Incumbent Vicente Sarmiento faced off against three challengers for a seat on the board.
The five county supervisors are some of the most powerful people in Orange County, deciding nearly $11 billion in spending each year on key government services, including law enforcement, infrastructure, public health and mental health. They also oversee much of the county’s social safety net, including operating county shelters and funding permanent supportive housing.
A candidate could win outright with more than 50% of votes cast. If no candidate crosses that threshold, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff in the November general election.
This is an open race — four candidates are vying to take over the post from Doug Chaffee, who is termed out in January 2027.
The five county supervisors are some of the most powerful people in Orange County, deciding nearly $11 billion in spending each year on key government services, including law enforcement, infrastructure, public health and mental health. They also oversee much of the county’s social safety net, including operating county shelters and funding permanent supportive housing.
A candidate could win outright with more than 50% of votes cast. If no candidate crosses that threshold, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff in the November general election.
Incumbent Katrina Foley faced off against two challengers for a seat on the board.
The five county supervisors are some of the most powerful people in Orange County, deciding nearly $11 billion in spending each year on key government services, including law enforcement, infrastructure, public health and mental health. They also oversee much of the county’s social safety net, including operating county shelters and funding permanent supportive housing.
A candidate could win outright with more than 50% of votes cast. If no candidate crosses that threshold, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff in the November general election.
The clerk-recorder is Orange County’s data recordkeeper, and this officeholder tracks a wide range of records, including public money and birth certificates, for 3.2 million residents.
A candidate could win outright with more than 50% of the votes cast. If no candidate crosses that threshold, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff in the November general election.
Superior Court judges oversee courtroom proceedings and trials across all of Orange County. There are more than 100 judges in the court system. These trials cover everything having to do with state and local laws, including family law (such as child custody and divorces), landlord and tenant cases, contract disputes, thefts, felony murder, probate (distributing a person’s possessions after death) and small claims.
The winner will be decided in the primary by whoever gets more than 50% of the vote.
Incumbent Shari Freidenrich’s tenure has been marked by allegations that she micromanages employees and that she creates a work culture that is a “highly charged atmosphere of mistrust, suspicion.” A workplace investigation also found that she threw her office keys at a subordinate out of anger.
Orange County’s treasurer-tax collector is responsible for collecting around $10 billion in property taxes annually. The office also acts as the county’s banker, managing and, until recently, investing funds that return yields that are used to pay for county services.
The top vote-getter in the primary is all but assured to be elected because there are just two candidates. Should neither get more than 50% of votes, a runoff will be held in the November general election.
For LAist's charts showing vote counts, we get numbers directly from the L.A. County and Orange County registrars of voters for local races. Totals are updated on our site as soon as possible after the registrars provide new tallies. For statewide races, counts come from the California Secretary of State's Office.
Keep in mind that, in tight races particularly, the winner may not be determined for days or weeks after election day. That's because early voting and mail-in ballots have fundamentally reshaped how votes are counted and when election results are known. In L.A. County, for example, updates on the counting are expected to continue through June 26. After the polls closed on election night, we had updates to the official count regularly into the early hours Wednesday. After that, updates have been daily around 5 p.m. Expect updates on the following days: June 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 24 and 26. Final results must be certified by July 10.
Our priority during the vote count will be sharing outcomes and election calls only when they have been thoroughly checked and vetted by journalists. To that end, we will report when candidates concede and otherwise rely on NPR and the Associated Press for race calls (before official results). We will not report the calls or projections of other news outlets. You can find more about NPR's and the AP's process for counting votes and calling races here, here and here.
You can track the status of your ballot through California's BallotTrax website.
If your mail-in ballot has any problems (like a missing or mismatched signature), your county registrar must contact you to give you a chance to fix it.
The California Secretary of State's Office is required to certify the final vote tallies by July 10, marking the official end of the 2026 primary election.
LAist's Voter Game Plan will be back in the fall to help you prepare for the Nov. 3 general election.
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LAist senior editor Rene Lynch contributed to this report.
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