In brief
California’s extended vote‑counting process has drawn criticism from President Trump, who announced that the Justice Department is investigating alleged cheating and suggested that two Republican candidates—Steve Hilton for governor and Spencer Pratt for mayor—would be excluded from the November general election. Governor Newsom’s office and election officials point to the state’s legal framework and high scrutiny as safeguards against fraud.
Trump Accuses California of Election Fraud
Shortly after California’s primary, former President Donald Trump posted on the social‑media platform X that the state’s vote counting is delayed and that the Justice Department is investigating alleged misconduct. He wrote, Why the vote counting DELAY??? and implied that Democrats were stealing the governor and mayor races.
The allegation came as California’s ballots—some 23 million paper envelopes mailed at election time—continue to arrive in large numbers well after Election Day, pushing the final tally over into the next week. County election workers verify signatures and, if they do not match records, must invite voters to prove their identity. These procedures are mandated by state law to ensure every valid ballot is counted.
Governor Newsom Responds
The Governor’s press office posted a clip of a CNN interview explaining that California prioritizes accuracy over speed. The video noted that the state’s system is designed to avoid fraud and that delays are a known feature of the ballot‑counting process.
Newsom’s spokesperson added, For the record: we wish the votes were counted faster, too, underscoring that the state’s procedures are intentionally thorough. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles declined to comment on the DOJ investigation.
Legal Framework and Implications
California law requires that mail ballots be postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days to be counted. After polls close, election officials begin the labor‑intensive job of sorting and tabulating ballots. If a signature is missing or mismatched, voters must appear in person to verify their identity. The process is time‑consuming but is intended to prevent fraud.
Last year, Gov. Newsom signed a bill that limited the vote‑counting period to 13 days, down from 30. Although counties must obtain an extension by providing a reason to the Secretary of State, the additional days remain a standard part of the process given the high volume of mail‑in ballots.
Political Fallout
Trump’s comments were deemed a lie by state Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Democrat who authored the bill speeding up counts. Berman stressed that the priority is to ensure every legitimate vote is counted, not to expedite the process.
The scenario mirrors similar concerns in other states, where Republican parties have sued over post‑Election Day ballots. The United States Supreme Court may soon weigh in on the legality of accepting such ballots, a potential precedent that could affect California’s future elections.
— Associated Press writers Christopher Weber (Los Angeles) and Sophie Austin (Sacramento) contributed to this report.
}
