By Maribel Velazquez
Four days after the primary elections, California had counted only about two-thirds of the votes cast, leaving some of the state’s most important races undecided, including the race for governor and mayor of Los Angeles.
The situation has once again put the Californian electoral system under the microscope, which largely depends on the absentee ballot. Although authorities defend the process as one of the safest in the country, delays fuel criticism and political questions each electoral cycle.
The weight of voting by mail
Experts explained to The Contemporary York Cases that the foremost part behind the slowness is the enormous volume of ballots sent or delivered in recent days before the election. Each envelope must go through a signature verification, opening, sorting and inspection process before the vote can be counted.
Kim Alexanderpresident of the California Voter Foundation, described the phenomenon as the “pig in the python” effect, a metaphor that refers to the funnel that is generated when millions of ballots arrive practically at the same time.
Furthermore, each of The state’s 58 counties administer their own elections and make a name how much to invest in deepest, technology and infrastructure. This causes significant differences in counting speed.
“Local officials are doing everything they can”said Jesse Salinas, Yolo County Registrar of Voters. As he explained, Greater resources would allow the process to be accelerated without compromising electoral security.
Precision before speed
While states like Arizona, Colorado or Washington have managed to report results more quickly Despite widely using voting by mail, specialists point out that California has chosen to prioritize accessibility and exhaustive review of each vote cast.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber reiterated that position by stating that “Precision prevails over speed”. According to the official, taking the necessary time protects the rights of voters and strengthens electoral integrity.
The delay has also been taken advantage of politically; President Donald Trump assured without presenting evidence that the slow count shows that “they are rigging the elections”. For his part, Governor Gavin Newsom asked counties to speed up tabulation to prevent misinformation from gaining ground.
Looking ahead to the November elections, analysts told Cases that the pressure will be even greater. If the House’s withhold a watch on depends on competitive districts in California, each late ballot could become the center of a new political battle.
Keep reading:
- Judge appointed by Trump refuses to stop changes to voting by mail
- Voting advocates challenge Trump’s order on voting by mail and denounce illegality
- Trump explains why he voted by mail: “Because I am president”
