Though California voters are heading to the polls tonight, they may not know the results of several key primary races for days – a fact that has people across the political spectrum raising concerns."The fact that California elections often can't be resolved for weeks is kind of insane and not common in other electoral systems around the world," Nate Silver, a top political data analyst, wrote on X on Tuesday afternoon."Like honestly ‘it's going to take us several weeks to tell you who won the election’ is failed state sh-t and should be much more stigmatized.
The fact that it's tolerated is bad too a textbook example of learned helplessness."Lengthy vote counts in California are a product of the state's reliance on mail voting and its thorough review process.Under California law, every registered voter receives a mail-in ballot and votes that arrive at election offices up to a week after election day are considered valid so long as they were postmarked by election day.A ballot box sits outside Contra Costa County's elections office in Martinez, Calif., on May 27, 2026.
June 2 is the last day to vote in person or return a ballot before California's statewide primary election.(Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)RNC RAILS AGAINST CALIFORNIA'S LATE MAIL-IN BALLOT COUNTING AMID NATIONAL LITIGATION: 'IT IS ABSURD'In tight primaries where a handful of votes decide outcomes, this process can cause voters to go weeks without knowing who will advance to the general election."Every other state manages to count its votes in a somewhat timely manner," Rep.
Kevin Kiley, an independent who caucuses with the GOP, wrote on X."California's inability to competently handle the basic administration of democracy is embarrassing.
It's also indicative of why our state has so many other problems."California Gov.Gavin Newsom looks on during a bill signing event related to redrawing the state’s congressional maps in Sacramento, Calif., on Aug.
21, 2025.(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)T...