California voters face potential delays as nearly 18 million head to polls

More than 5.5 million Californians have already cast their ballots for the midterm election, according to voter data analysis software from Political Data Intelligence. With 23 million registered voters in the state, that leaves nearly 18 million people who may still vote today. Election officials say this large turnout could result in long lines at polling places and voting centers.

Voting and polling centers are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. To reduce wait times, voters can use the vote center locator on the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder and county clerk website. By entering a home address, the tool lists voting centers within a one-mile radius or up to 10 miles away. Each location includes the current wait time.

The wait times are color coded to indicate how long voters should expect to stand in line. Dark green indicates a wait of 15 minutes or less. Light green means the wait is between 16 and 30 minutes. Yellow indicates a wait of 31 to 45 minutes. Orange shows a wait of 46 to 60 minutes. Red indicates a wait of more than one hour. Blue means the wait time is unavailable.

Voters who arrive at a polling place without their ballot can request a provisional ballot. This is a regular ballot placed in a special envelope before going into the ballot box. Election officials count provisional ballots after verifying that the person is a registered voter in that county and has not already voted in the election. Any polling place in the county where the voter is registered can accept this ballot.

Voters with disabilities can use curbside voting at all polling places and voting centers. These locations are required to have accessible voting machines. If a voter cannot reach the voting area due to architectural barriers or physical limitations, they can request to vote from the curb or their car. A sign outside every vote center lists a phone number for an election worker to bring a ballot to the voter.

Election officials in Los Angeles County say voters can check in by scanning a quick check-in code. This number verifies voter registration. The unique code appears on the mailed sample ballot and the vote center postcard. If a voter forgot these hard copies, they can find the code online by verifying their registration. The online tool requires the voter to enter their last name, birth date, house number, and ZIP Code.

Those who need assistance can call (800) 815-2666 and select Option 2. The secretary of state says any voter in line at 8 p.m. when polls are scheduled to close is allowed to vote. A poll worker stands at the back of the line to inform people arriving after 8 p.m. that the polls have closed. Voters who arrive after the polls close may not be allowed to vote, even if people in line before closing are still in the process of voting.