California’s extended ballot counting process often raises questions. Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, frequently addresses this topic. “I have been giving interviews about the long vote count for a decade now,” Alexander shared, emphasizing that it’s time to tackle the issue.
Election watchers encourage patience, citing that the slow count ensures accuracy, not fraud. Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University, explained, “We allow people lots of different avenues to vote, and as a result it takes longer to count up all the votes. And that’s how it should be.”
Alexander points out that a slow count can undermine voter confidence, trigger unfair criticism, and spur misinformation. More than 16 million votes were cast in November 2024. This figure surpasses the population of most states.
Mail-in ballots, which gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, take longer to process. Over 80% of voters chose this option in November 2024. Ballots postmarked by election day have a seven-day window to arrive. Verification of signatures adds to the delay.
If a voter’s signature is missing or mismatches records, officials must notify the voter to resolve it. In November 2024, 84,737 mail ballots remained uncounted due to signature problems.
Potential Solutions to Accelerate the Process
The California Voter Foundation recommends several steps to improve speed. They propose:
- Increasing state funding for 58 county elections offices to enhance resources.
- Implementing a text-based system for curing signature issues.
- Encouraging earlier ballot submission with state-funded campaigns.
- Expanding in-person voting options, like the “sign, scan & go” system.
A Placer County pilot program for “sign, scan & go” reduced processing time by three to four days.