Voters Turn Out Across South Valley on Election Day
Residents in Gilroy and Hollister cast ballots on Nov. 3, 2026 as federal agents' visits to county election offices drew attention.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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Voters across South Valley cast ballots at vote centers on Tuesday's Nov. 3, 2026 general election, with many dropping off ballots already filled out, signed and sealed. In the days before the vote, U.S. Department of Justice agents visited San Benito and Santa Clara county election officials about ballots submitted by alleged non-citizens.
Why it matters
The turnout reflects residents' sense of civic duty at a time when federal scrutiny of local election offices has drawn attention. Local officials in both counties say they will continue to follow established state election laws and procedures.
Santa Clara County had counted ballots from 28.4% of its 1,080,711 registered voters and San Benito County from 19% of about 40,000 as of early Wednesday, with 31% of San Benito voters mailing ballots before Election Day. Final counts were still pending, and the federal inquiry into ballots from alleged non-citizens remained unresolved in the reporting.
The players
PACT
PACT is an interfaith grassroots organization that offers leadership training in communities throughout the U.S. and recruited volunteer election observers for the Gilroy polling place.
U.S. Department of Justice
The U.S. Department of Justice is the federal department responsible for enforcing federal law, and its agents visited county election officials about ballots from alleged non-citizens.
The details
Voters in Gilroy and Hollister showed up steadily at vote centers throughout Nov. 3, including 18-year-old Bryan Hernandez, who voted for the first time outside the Gilroy Veterans Hall. Volunteer independent election observers recruited by PACT, an interfaith grassroots organization, were stationed outside the Gilroy Center for the Arts, where no disruptions were observed as of about 4 p.m.
Timeline
Days before Nov. 3, 2026: Federal DOJ agents visited San Benito and Santa Clara county election officials about ballots.
Nov. 3, 2026: General election held and voters cast ballots at vote centers.
Early Wednesday morning, Nov. 4, 2026: Partial ballot counts reported in both counties.
Political Context
The federal visits to county election offices come as the Justice Department has pressed states on voter-roll and ballot-handling practices. Local officials in San Benito and Santa Clara counties have said they will continue to follow state election law rather than change procedures under federal pressure.
Voters whose ballots are still being counted should check their county registrar's site for status updates. Residents with questions about their ballot or polling place can contact their local elections office directly.
The takeaway
Civic participation in South Valley remained steady on Election Day even as federal agents questioned how county offices handle ballots. Residents who want to follow the count can watch official county registrar updates as results are finalized.
Further reading
Learn more about how residents take part in local democracy in the Civic Engagement section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Gilroy Dispatch.
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