San Diego County to Release First Election Results After 8 p.m.

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters will release the first set of unofficial election results shortly after 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. This initial data covers mail ballots received before Election Day and votes cast at vote centers through Nov. 2.

The county mailed ballots to more than 2 million voters. Staff must process these ballots carefully to ensure validity. A pause in reporting will occur after vote centers close at 8 p.m. Workers will secure and transport ballots from over 200 locations to the Registrar’s office.

The next round of updates will feature only ballots cast at vote centers on Election Day. No additional mail ballots will be included in these election night figures. Staff will scan the ballots and post periodic updates until all in-person votes are counted.

Final unofficial election night results may appear around 1 a.m. or later. These numbers will reflect only the Election Day ballots that can be processed immediately.

Ballot counting continues after election night. The Registrar will count mail ballots dropped off at vote centers, official drop boxes, or mailed on Election Day. These must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received within seven days. All mail ballots require signature verification before counting.

Provisional ballots cast by eligible voters who missed the registration deadline will also be processed. Staff must confirm each voter’s eligibility before counting these votes. The office cannot predict how many unregistered residents will use this option.

Additional unofficial results will be posted by 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, and Friday, Nov. 6. Another update is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9. The Registrar’s office will close on Nov. 11, 26, and 27 for County holidays. Law requires certification of election results by Dec. 3. The Registrar plans to use the full certification period to ensure every legally cast ballot is counted accurately.