California's slow vote count stirs frustration, but changes would be hard

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Over the last decade, California became a national leader in voter accessibility and security, expanding options for when and how ballots can be cast while also strengthening election safeguards.But those reforms came at a cost: speed.And in a political climate where unsupported conspiracies about election fraud can run rampant on social media — pushed, at times, by top political leaders — some fear the slow vote count is becoming a liability.Election outcomes in recent years have become more drawn out in California, most recently taking about a week to determine the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral candidates advancing to November’s runoff after hotly contested primaries.

And in prior years, it’s taken even longer to determine tight U.S.House or state Senate seats.

That trade-off — election accessibility and security over quick results — has long been defended as a byproduct of California’s desire to make it as easy as possible to cast a ballot while ensuring accuracy and integrity, something backers say remains vital to a thriving democracy.But some experts say the increasing backlash over the slow vote count sows distrust.“We’ve allowed the long count to be normalized, … but that doesn’t mean it’s normal,” said Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, who has become an advocate for accelerating the state’s vote count.

“There’s no question that voter confidence is eroding.”A slower vote count does not signal any indication of fraud, despite unfounded claims over the last week by President Trump and others.Election officials and nonpartisan groups make clear that voter fraud remains extremely rare in the U.S., and there’s been no evidence of any such issues in California’s latest primary count.

Politics The U.S.Supreme Court could soon rule that California cannot accept ballots after election day.

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