California's Slow Ballot Count Makes It a Target for Critics. It Doesn't Mean Elections Are Rigged
State law and late Democratic ballots prolong the tally as officials say the process protects accuracy and voter access.
- On Thursday, President Donald Trump alleged fraud in California's election, claiming officials are "rigging the election" due to slow ballot counting and threatening Republican candidates in the governor and mayoral primaries.
- California's election system prioritizes accuracy over speed, requiring extensive verification of late-arriving mail ballots that are counted if postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. Many Democratic voters waited until the last minute to cast ballots.
- UCLA law professor Rick Hasen warned that "what compounds things this time around is that Democrats have been holding on to their ballots," while Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's office posted, "For the record: we wish the votes were counted faster, too."
- Former Republican election official Stephen Richer of Maricopa County, Arizona, rejected the fraud claims, writing: "We might not like how California administers its elections . But that doesn't make it fraud."
- State Assemblymember Marc Berman criticized Trump's rhetoric as "a lie" intended to undermine democracy, while voting advocates urge the Legislature to provide more funding so local election offices can process late-arriving ballots faster.
51 Articles
51 Articles
California election limbo fueled by 4 pressure points dragging out vote count, expert says
California’s still-unsettled election results are the consequence of the state’s vote-by-mail system, according to election law expert Hans von Spakovsky, who said the process can keep ballots moving through verification and counting for days and even weeks after Election Day.The Golden State is continuing to count ballots cast in its June 2 primary elections, a process that has extended beyond Election Day due to the state's election laws, admi…
Time to clean up California's election process – and others * WorldNetDaily * by Laura Hollis
In the leadup to the country’s 250th birthday celebration, America has been riveted by two elections in the state of California: the race for governor and for the mayor of Los Angeles. Ever since Democrat and former congressman Eric Swalwell was forced to withdraw because of sex scandals, Republican Steve Hilton has been a surprise favorite to win in a state that hasn’t elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected to a s…
CNN fact-check debunks supercut of MAGA media’s collective meltdown over CA vote
CNN host Dana Bash on Friday mocked members of the MAGA movement who appear to assume California is taking a long time to count votes because political hijinks are afoot. Fox News host Jesse Waters explained, "I can't prove it — but everybody watching thinks there's shenanigans when it takes this long." Fox's Greg Gutfeld similarly proclaimed, "You know what that means," when he was told it would take a week or more to count the ballots. "These …
"Compromised": With votes still being counted, right-wing media promote election misinformation and conspiracy theories about California primaries
As California continues counting mail-in ballots for its primary elections, right-wing media were quick to whip up conspiracy theories and accuse Democrats of cheating. Californians wrapped up voting in their 2026 primaries on June 2 but vote counting is far from over, with multiple major races such as the state gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral elections being too close to call. California historically takes a long time to tabulate election…
While Trump alleges cheating, California officials say ballot counting takes time
Southern California voters awaiting final returns from Tuesday’s primary election should expect vote totals to continue changing for several weeks as counties count outstanding ballots, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber said Thursday amid allegations by President Donald Trump of election cheating. Weber noted that while Election Day has passed, California law allows county elections officials up to 30 days...
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