California’s lengthy ballot count after the June 2 primary has renewed debate over whether the state can deliver election results more quickly without making it harder for residents to vote.
The slow tally drew national scrutiny after it took roughly a week for enough ballots to be counted to project the outcome of the governor’s race. Critics included President Donald Trump, election analyst Nate Silver and The New York Times editorial board, which argued that delayed results can undermine public confidence in government.
State leaders from both parties have said they would prefer faster results. But Democratic officials, who control state government, have shown little interest in major changes if those changes would limit access to ballots — particularly mail voting, now a central part of California elections.
Election officials say the delay is largely tied to the volume of mail ballots that arrive on Election Day or shortly before it. Under California law, those ballots must be verified and processed before they are counted, a procedure that takes more time than tabulating votes cast in person.
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a Santa Cruz Democrat who chairs the Assembly elections committee and previously served as a county registrar, said Californians should understand the tradeoff involved.
“If you want results election night, you’re going to have to go back to in-person voting, way earlier deadlines for returning by mail and you’re going to end up disenfranchising voters,” Pellerin told CalMatters.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber has also defended the current system, saying accuracy must come before speed. In April, Weber dismissed some criticism of California’s vote-counting process as a political attack and said the priority should remain ensuring that valid ballots are counted.
“For me, accuracy is far more important,” Weber told CalMatters.
The issue is especially relevant in large Southern California counties, where election offices handle high numbers of mail ballots and must verify signatures, sort envelopes and process ballots under strict security rules. The work is labor-intensive and can extend for days or weeks after an election, depending on turnout and the number of ballots returned late in the voting period.
Mail ballots also cost more to process than in-person votes, requiring additional staff, equipment and time. The Public Policy Institute of California has reported that counties do not receive enough funding to easily expand staffing for faster counting. Unlike some states, California does not provide ongoing state funding to counties specifically for election administration.
Eric McGhee, a senior fellow at the institute, said county registrars are often trying to balance voter access, accuracy and limited budgets.
“They’re kind of managing the best they can with the budget that they have,” McGhee told CalMatters. “But it’s a lot to handle.”
Republicans have repeatedly criticized California’s slow reporting, arguing that a state with the size and resources of California should be able to produce results more quickly. Democrats counter that many of the proposals likely to speed up the count — such as shortening ballot return windows or requiring more voters to cast ballots in person — could reduce participation, especially among voters who rely on mail ballots because of work schedules, disability, transportation barriers or other challenges.
For now, the state appears unlikely to make sweeping changes. The debate is expected to continue as California heads toward future elections, with officials facing pressure to reassure voters that slow results do not mean unreliable results.
Original source: CalMatters
