Imperial County Elections Office Reports Duplicate Ballots Sent to Approximately 160 Voters

-Editorial

The Imperial County Registrar of Voters Office has acknowledged a mailing error that resulted in approximately 160 confidential voters receiving duplicate ballots for the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

According to the Registrar of Voters Office, the affected voters received an additional ballot despite already being included in the original mailing. The error occurred as election officials updated procedures to comply with changes in California election laws.

Effective Jan. 1, 2026, elected officials and candidates for public office became eligible for confidential voter status under state law. The change required election offices to modify how ballots for those voters are processed and mailed.

“We understand that receiving more than one ballot can cause confusion, and we take this concern very seriously,” Registrar of Voters Linsey Dale said in a statement. “Although this mailing error affected approximately 160 confidential voters, our commitment to conducting secure and accurate elections remains unchanged.”

The office explained that voters may receive additional ballots under circumstances unrelated to the recent mailing error.

For example, duplicate ballots may be issued when voters update their registration information or when the California Department of Motor Vehicles submits updated voter information shortly before an election.

The Registrar of Voters Office prepares ballot mailing lists approximately eight weeks before an election. If a voter’s registration information changes after those lists are prepared, another ballot may be mailed to reflect the updated information.

Election officials emphasized that receiving multiple ballots does not allow an individual to vote more than once.

“We have safeguards in place to ensure that only one ballot per eligible voter is accepted and counted, in accordance with California law,” Dale said.

Voting more than once in the same election is illegal and can result in criminal penalties.

The office did not indicate in its statement whether any ballots had been returned by the affected voters or whether additional corrective measures were being implemented beyond existing election safeguards.

Voters who receive more than one ballot or have questions about their voting materials are encouraged to contact the Imperial County Registrar of Voters Office at 442-265-1060.

The office said it remains committed to maintaining a secure, accurate, and transparent election process for Imperial County voters ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.