Overview
- Secretary of State Shirley Weber reaffirmed that the holes help sight-impaired voters locate the signature area and advised anyone concerned to fold or position the ballot so choices are not near the openings.
- Los Angeles County uses two holes by the signature line plus an overlapping hole on the reverse, a design aligned with guidance from the Center for Civic Design.
- Ventura County says overlapping holes help staff confirm envelopes contain a ballot and are empty after processing, while Riverside County reports using detection‑proof paper and says it could not replicate claims of visible votes.
- Orange County omits holes after finding they interfered with its mail‑inserting equipment, underscoring county‑by‑county design differences.
- False videos alleging vote visibility have circulated on social platforms and were boosted by figures including Steve Hilton, who urged suspending the election tied to Proposition 50 on Nov. 4.