When will California races be called? And why does it take so long? A guide

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So you researched the races, submitted your ballot and are ready to find out the results.Well, experts say it might take a while, especially for tight California races.Here is our guide about how to follow the results and how to know when races are really called.California’s emphasis on voter convenience and accessibility — with universal vote-by-mail and same-day voter registration — is intended to increase participation, but it has also created a more cumbersome and drawn-out vote counting process that takes election officials longer to receive, verify and count ballots.

Ballots postmarked on or before election day are accepted seven days after the election, so in extremely close races, it can take days just to receive all relevant ballots.And unlike in-person voting, where verification happens upfront, mail-in ballots must be inspected and have signatures verified.

If a voter’s signature is missing or does not match the signature on file, California law requires elections officials to notify that voter and give them an opportunity to fix the problem, which can also delay the process.But election watchdogs are universally clear that although slower, this process doesn’t point to any issues or fraud — in fact, it’s the opposite.They say it ensures all votes are accurately counted.Most races should be clear by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

But tight ones could take days or even weeks.It’s possible we’ll know a front-runner, but it will be too close to call second place.California’s “jungle primary” system identifies the top two vote-getters in each race — regardless of party preference — who then advance to November’s general election.

News organizations typically call races before all the ballots are counted.The Associated Press has become the gold standard for calling election outcomes, which the news agency only does when it is “ful...