Voting In Lake Forest: Everything You Need To Know

LAKE FOREST, CA — The majority of Lake Forest voters have already cast their mail-in ballots and returned them, though some will venture out to vote centers on Tuesday to either mark their ballots or hand them in for counting.

Here in Lake Forest, voters will select new city councilmembers and school board members.

Orange County voters will also weigh in on races for representation in the U.S. Congress.

In the 45th District, Katie Porter, Democrat, the incumbent, faces Greg Raths, Republican, a councilman in Mission Viejo for the district hit hard by the Silverado Fire in late October. Voters will turn out from Irvine, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, and Rancho Santa Margarita to make their voices heard.

Lake Forest will vote for a State Senator:

37th District - longstanding Republican incumbent John Moorlach races against Democrat Dave Min, a law professor at UC Irvine. The district includes Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Lake Forest, Foothill Ranch, Irvine, Orange, Villa Park, and Anaheim Hills, who suffered wildfire damage in both the late-October Silverado Fire and Blue Ridge Fire to the north.

Lake Forest Will Vote For State Assembly:

68th District - Incumbent Steven Choi, Republican, faces Melissa Fox, Democrat, Irvine City Councilwoman. The district includes Lake Forest, Tustin, Villa Park, Orange, and Anaheim Hills.

Orange County residents will also vote for School Districts, Special District Contests of Water, Community services, Sanitation, Library District and Geologic Hazard Abatement.

Most Orange County cities will vote for city council members, some by district. Patch will be following city council elections in:

• Dana Point
• Laguna Beach
• Laguna Niguel
• Lake Forest
• Mission Viejo
• Newport Beach
• Rancho Santa Margarita
• San Clemente
• San Juan Capistrano

Orange County has 1.7 million registered voters, according to statistics from the Orange County Registrar of Voters. As of this report, Orange County saw a surge in voter registration in September. According to Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley's office, the county's voters consist of 36 percent democratic voters, 34 percent Republican voters.

The largest unknown in the county is the vast number of voters who claim no party preference. This makes up 24 percent of the vote.

According to California Secretary of State Alex Padilla's office, statewide, there are 21.2 million registered voters, an increase of 800,000 since the primary in March.

Stay tuned to Patch on Election Day for results.
Want to double-check that they've counted your absentee / mail-in ballot? Track it here.