Quicker count, bigger turnout: L.A. County certifies 2026 primary election ballots

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Set us as preferred Twenty-four days after the polls closed on election day, Los Angeles County officials have certified the results from the 2,227,461 ballots cast.Despite questions raised about the pace of the vote count, a Times analysis found ballots this June were tallied faster than in previous cycles.California is known to have a slow vote count, partially because of the state’s grace period for mail-in ballots.

This year, counties were required to report most of the ballots by June 15, with some exceptions, including for mail-in ballots received within seven days of election day and ballots requiring additional verification such as signature curing.The process has spurred baseless claims of fraud from President Trump and others, leading the U.S.

Supreme Court to take up a case on whether mail-in ballots must be received by election day to count.The state has reported 9.4 million processed ballots.Officials estimate about 5 ballots remain to be counted and 17,650 are waiting to cure a missing or mismatched signature.Compared with the last time both governor and Los Angeles mayor were on the ballot, county election officials counted more ballots, and tallied them faster than in 2022, The Times found.In Los Angeles County, turnout jumped from 28% of eligible voters in the 2022 primary to 38% this June, according to the county registrar.

Meanwhile, the share of vote-by-mail ballots dropped about 3 percentage points to 82%, indicating a rise in in-person voting.Statewide, early results show 41% of registered voters turned up for the June election, up from 33% in 2022, according to the secretary of state.County elections officials must report their final results by July 3, giving state officials a week to certify all election results.

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