Orange County Elections: Voter Turnout, What To Know

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Voter turnout in Orange County was at 26.95% as of Tuesday afternoon, the Orange County Registrar reported. The OC Registrar's office had collected 568,179 ballots from the county's 2.1 million registered voters as of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Orange County residents who have yet to cast their votes for this year's General Election can do so until 8 p.m. Tuesday. To view current wait times for a Voting Center near you, visit the OC Registrar's website.

Here's what's at stake for the 2022 General Election.

Republicans were feeling confident as traditionally the party out of power in the White House usually makes gains in Congress in midterm elections, especially in a lagging economy affected by inflation or recession. But Democrats have argued that this year's U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning abortion rights will boost their candidates.

UC Irvine political science professor Louis DeSipio said forecasting election outcomes has been difficult. He said polling is challenging these days.

"The races I was confident about a few weeks ago I'm less so confident in now," DeSipio said. "I don't know what's happening nationally, and our elections are pretty nationalized now. Where a few weeks ago I thought (Rep.) Katie Porter was up, and now I think she probably still is, but if there is a Republican wave nationally it will sweep into Orange County as well."

Porter, D-Irvine, is squaring off against former Orange County Republican Party Chairman Scott Baugh. Insiders say the race is close. The fact that outside groups have been airing commercials for Baugh indicates the closeness of the race, DeSipio said.

"It means Baugh is getting national money he wouldn't have gotten if (House Minority Leader Kevin) McCarthy or his people didn't think it was a winnable race," DeSipio said.

The contest between Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, and Republican Brian Maryott, a former San Juan Capistrano mayor, is another tight race.

"Levin could get swept up in that wave as well," DeSipio said. "If I had to put money on it I think it will be a status quo election and a few could lose, but the incumbents could all win."

With gerrymandering and political polarization the days of a broad, sweeping wave have been narrowed, DeSipio said.

"We used to think of a wave as 40 to 60 seats," DeSipio said.

In the other races countywide, Rep. Michelle Steel, R-Huntington Beach, is facing Democrat Jay Chen in her bid for a second term. The two have been locked in a bitter campaign with both sides accusing each other of racism.

Rep. Young Kim, R-Placentia, is facing off against Democratic physician Asif Mahmood.

Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, is seeking to fend off a challenge from Republican attorney Christopher Gonzales.

Aside from Congress, Orange County voters will decide three of the five seats on the county Board of Supervisors. Attention is on the race between Democratic incumbent Katrina Foley and Republican state Sen. Patricia Bates, a former supervisor. That race will decide whether Democrats have a majority on the board.

Democrat Doug Chaffee, the county board chairman, is facing a challenge from another Democrat, Sunny Park.

Democratic Santa Ana Mayor Vicente Sarmiento is competing with fellow Democrat Kim Bernice Nguyen, a Garden Grove councilwoman.

Voters will also cast ballots on Assembly, state Senate, city councils, school districts and judges.

City News Service contributed to this report.