Santa Monica Voters Face Long Lines as LA County Sees Modest Uptick in Primary Turnout

Santa Monica, CA - Voters in Santa Monica encountered notably long lines at polling locations on Election Day, reflecting a broader trend of increased participation across Los Angeles County in the June 2, 2026, Statewide Direct Primary Election.

According to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan, the county - home to more than 5.8 million registered voters - experienced modestly higher turnout compared to the 2022 primary. Officials projected final turnout in the mid-30% range, approximately 2–3 percentage points ahead of the roughly 28% seen in the last comparable primary.

By early afternoon on June 2, more than 1.1 million ballots had been cast countywide. This included over 100,000 in-person votes on Election Day and nearly 1 million vote-by-mail ballots already returned. As of the morning of Election Day, approximately 711,000 ballots had been processed, representing about 12% of registered voters. Of those, 95% were vote-by-mail and only 5% were cast in person.

California's universal vote-by-mail system continued to dominate, with in-person voting making up a relatively small share of total ballots. Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Vote Centers, which also offered early voting options in the days leading up to the election. Reports of longer lines emerged particularly in the evening as residents returned from work, consistent with observations at Santa Monica polling stations.

Ballot processing is ongoing. Postmarked-by-June 2 ballots will continue to be accepted until approximately June 9, with additional results expected to be released daily. The first results, primarily early mail ballots, were posted after polls closed at 8 p.m. on June 2. Full certification will occur in the coming weeks.

Residents can track the latest results and turnout updates at the official LA County elections website: results.lavote.gov.

The Santa Monica Observer will continue to monitor local results as more ballots are counted.