Riverside County supervisors have signed off on a $14.55 million final budget to cover the costs of running next week's general election, unanimously approving the funding in a 5-0 vote without comment. The money is expected to pay for roughly 2,500 election workers and the sprawling logistics behind an election serving 1.43 million registered voters countywide.
The vote, confirmed by mynewsla.com, came after Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco submitted the funding request the week before based on estimated costs. About 84% of the budget will be drawn from the county's General Fund, with the remainder coming from a state distribution tied to legislation the governor signed in June providing funds to counties for temporary election workers. That state money is expected to help cover around 160 temporary employees added to county payrolls specifically for election functions.
The Riverside County Office of the Registrar of Voters said the funding is necessary to give the office the resources it needs to conduct the Nov. 3 general election. The budget covers the secure transport of equipment to vote centers, ballot materials and supplies, on-site security, and other related election activities, according to the same report. Notably, the county's 2026-27 fiscal year budget, approved back in June, had not fully accounted for these election expenses, leaving the funding request to come together in the weeks before Election Day.
Vote Centers Expanding Fast Ahead of Election Day
Infrastructure on the ground is already scaling up. The county's first 21 vote centers opened last weekend, and an additional 131 vote centers are set to open countywide on Saturday, Oct. 31. Per documentation from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters, those additional centers will run Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., before Election Day hours stretch from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters have multiple ways to cast a ballot once the centers are open: they can vote electronically on Dominion touchscreen units, fill out a paper ballot on-site, or drop off a completed vote-by-mail ballot in person. More than 100 secure drop-box locations have also been available since the start of October, and registrar records show those boxes are monitored around the clock from Oct. 5 through Nov. 2, closing at 8 p.m. on Election Day itself.
Turnout Question Looms After Low Primary Numbers
Participation is a real concern for county officials heading into next week. Riverside County's participation rate in the June primary was just 38%, per the registrar, a figure that looms over an election drawing on a voter pool of 1.43 million. Whether general election turnout improves on that mark remains to be seen.
Deadlines matter for anyone still holding onto a ballot. The California Secretary of State's office has said ballots must be received or postmarked by Nov. 3 to count, and per the Registrar of Voters, voted ballots must reach elections officials no later than the close of vote centers on Election Day — though ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 can still be counted if they arrive within seven days afterward.
State Funding Flows to Counties Statewide
Riverside County isn't alone in receiving a cash infusion for this election cycle. The State Controller's Office is distributing $34 million in 2026 Budget funding to California counties for the Nov. 3 general election, according to the California State Association of Counties. Of that statewide pool, $29 million is earmarked for additional vote-tabulation staff, equipment or technology upgrades, and space for staff or equipment, while the remaining $5 million must go toward voter outreach and education, with small counties guaranteed a minimum allocation of $50,000.
Back in Riverside County, officials have made clear that the $14.55 million approved this week may not be the final word on costs. Any further funding needs from the registrar's office would have to go back before the Board of Supervisors, and post-election expenses could still arise from delayed ballot processing, recount requests, or litigation. Additional election information, including vote center locations and hours, is available at voteinfo.net.
