With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
LAist helped you vote. Now we're bringing you the results.
Just dozens of votes separate some contests as LA and Orange counties keep counting
Election workers inspect ballots after extracting them from envelopes on election night at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on Election Night in the City of Industry.
(
Allen J. Schaben
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Officials are still working hard at counting remaining ballots. We have the latest numbers on what the voter turnout looked like.
Those counts continue after bomb threats were made Friday and Saturday, respectively, to O.C. and L.A. counting operations, with no explosives found. Election officials in both counties say they're working with law enforcement to protect staff, and to maintain the integrity of the vote.
L.A. County turnout
As of Friday, Nov. 15, 3,733,131 cast votes have been counted in Los Angeles County. That represents a turnout of 65% of the county's 5,745,214 registered voters. The turnout percentage will continue to go up as more ballots are tallied in the coming days.
Support for LAist comes from
County election officials report about 79,400 still need to be processed.
- Vote by Mail ballots: 23,000
- Conditional Voter Registration ballots: 55,000
- Provisional ballots: 1,400
Here's how the vote is breaking down so far:
- 73% voted by mail.
- 27% voted in person
For reference: The 2022 general election, which had the L.A. mayor and California governor on the ballot, drew 2,456,701 L.A. County voters to the polls.
Typically, presidential election years draw larger turnouts (as you'll see in the chart below.)
- Has your 2024 general election ballot been tallied yet? You can track the status of your ballot here.
Turnout in recent L.A. elections
Note: The 2024 turnout will continue to rise as more ballots are tabulated.
Support for LAist comes from
Orange County turnout
In Orange County, as of Nov. 15, 1,364,503 votes have been counted. That represents a turnout of more about 70% of the county's 1,861,450 registered voters.
About 71,911 ballots in the county remain to be counted, according O.C. election officials.
Here's how the vote is breaking down so far:
- 77% voted by mail.
- 23% voted in person.
For reference: In the 2024 primary, turnout was around 38%, with about 685,038 of 1,818,551 registered voters casting ballots.
- Has your ballot been tallied yet? You can track the status of your ballot here.
Turnout in recent Orange County elections
Note: The 2024 turnout will continue to rise as more ballots are tabulated.
Support for LAist comes from
About bomb threats called in
Vote counting went on over the weekend after a bomb threat was called in Saturday, the day after a similar threat was called into the Orange County vote counting operation. Dean C. Logan, the L.A. County's registrar-recorder and county clerk, said they take all threats seriously and he and his staff worked closely with law enforcement officials to maintain operations.
"These threats and efforts to disrupt the legal, transparent, and secure process of counting all eligible ballots have no place in our electoral process," Logan said. "The safety of the employees working to complete the canvass of the election and the security of the ballots are our priority.”
The Orange County counting operations were shut down about 15 minutes before the scheduled stop time on Friday, after a bomb threat was made and the building was evacuated. Law enforcement officers sweeping with bomb detection dogs did not find explosives.
"The Orange County Registrar of Voters is committed to ensuring equal access to the election process, protecting the integrity of votes, and maintaining a transparent, accurate, and fair election system," said Bob Page, registrar of voters, said in a statement. "We are working diligently to address this incident and keep all staff and members of the public who visit our office safe."
Where things stand in the state
State officials report just over 22.6 million registered voters in the state for this election out about 27 million eligible voters in the state, or about 84%. Those are the highest voter numbers ever.
Support for LAist comes from
So far, precincts have reported 13.6 million cast ballots across California, which accounts for a little less than 61% of registered voters. State officials estimate about 5 million ballots remain to be counted statewide, with more possible as mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day continue to be received.
Keep in mind
Tuesday, Nov. 12, was the final day for votes postmarked by Nov. 5 to arrive at county elections offices. Results will be certified by Dec. 13, 2024.
‘Election Month’ vs. Election Day
Because of the increasing use of vote-by-mail ballots, the vote tally has gotten longer, according to the California Voter Foundation. In an analysis, the organization found:
- In November 2004, more than 80% of votes were counted within two days of Election Day, with 32.6% voting by mail.
- In June 2022, about 50% of ballots were counted within two days of Election Day, with more than 90% of people voting by mail.
Election officials must physically open mail-in ballots and verify signatures.
“We not only moved from ‘Election Day’ to ‘Election Month’, but we have also moved from ‘Election Night’ to ‘Ballot Counting Month,'” wrote CVF's Kim Alexander in 2022.
Did LAist help you vote? Member support made these voter guides possible.
Our election coverage is focused on you: helping you understand the results of these races and their impact on our everyday lives. And we don’t stop there, even after results are in, you need a source of trusted reporting that will hold those in power to account and shine a light on issues important to our communities.
Even after the last ballot is cast, LAist reporting and voting guides are here for you. But we need to hear from you now with your support to know that this work we’re doing is important.
We cannot do this essential work without your help. We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
At a time when the need for local journalism has never been greater, many newsrooms are facing cutbacks, including LAist. Member support — your support — is what will sustain a free press in Southern California.
LAist’s mission is to be here for you, so please be here for us now with a donation to power our trusted local reporting. Step up right now and make the choice to give. Because that’s exactly what it is — a choice. It's a choice with consequences. If readers do not choose to step up and donate, the future of fact-based news in Southern California will not be as strong.
No matter what happens in the world, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust.
Thank you for your generous support.
Sincerely,
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
What questions do you have about this election?
You ask, and we'll answer: Whether it's about how to interpret the results or track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2024 general election on Nov. 5.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places. -
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.”
Best of LAist