Orange County Registrar’s Office Undergoing Sweeps After Election Bomb Threat

A bomb threat disrupted the Orange County Registrar of Voters (ROV) office a week after the general election.

All staff and members of the public were evacuated from the Santa Ana office and dogs were used to search the entire building but no explosives were found.

“I do not think this threat says anything about the political climate in Orange County,” said Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page. “The Registrar of Voters works well with both the Orange County Republican and Democratic parties.”

The unfounded threat came in the form of an email from overseas dated Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Neither the Orange County Republican nor the Democrat political organizations responded to requests for comment.

“Anytime we get some type of a bomb threat, whether it’s over the phone or through the mail, we follow procedures,” Orange County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer (PIO) Sgt. Matt Parrish said. “The Hazardous Devices squad team will go out with dogs and conduct an investigation through its end, whether we can tie it to somebody or we’re unable to look into it any further.”

Not Orange County’s First Voting Bomb Threat

In 2020, there was an investigation into an unattended package that temporarily shut down the operation of a Vote Center during the presidential general election as well. “It was determined the package posed no danger,” Page told OrangeCountyLawyers.com.

According to a press release, the Orange County Sheriff Hazardous Devices Section (HDS) vowed to conduct random sweeps of the ROV building as well as maintain a 24/7 presence until the 2024 election results are certified in order to ensure the safety and security of the election process and election workers.

“We will continue to work with the Sheriff’s Department to keep our staff, voters and public observers safe in future elections,” Page added.

California Elections Code Section 15391 prohibits the Registrar from certifying the November 5 presidential general election prior to the 28th calendar day following the election, which is December 3.

The 24/7 presence isn’t due to the bomb threat, however.

“That’s standard procedure for every election,” Sgt. Parrish told OrangeCountyLawyers.com. “The vote gets certified tomorrow if everything goes according to plan and we have personnel there through tomorrow until it gets certified.”

The Riverside Central Counting Building in Riverside County at 2720 Gateway Drive was also evacuated and searched after receiving the same emailed bomb threat.

“The county of Riverside Registrar of Voters remains committed to the safety of the public and our staff,” Riverside County officials said in a statement. “We continue to prioritize transparency and encourage the public to observe all processes as we ensure a fair, accurate and transparent election.”