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# Trump Says Fraud. Here's What ACTUALLY Happened in California
- URL: https://ivn.us/podcasts/trump-says-fraud-heres-what-actually-happened-in-california/
- Published: 2026-06-11T19:58:38.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-11T19:59:58.000Z
- Description: In this episode of Independent Voter Podcast, Chad, Shawn, and Cara break down the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race and the explosive controversy surrounding ballot harvesting in California.
- Author: Independent Voter Podcast
- Tags: Podcast, Independent Voter Podcast, California 2026

This week, Chad, Shawn, and Cara break down the five-day vote count that knocked Spencer Pratt out of the LA mayoral runoff - and why "fraud" is the wrong story. Cara walks through her viral article on Tom Steyer's $216 million spend, the DSA/progressive turnout machine, and how legal ballot harvesting in high-density neighborhoods delivered the late surge for Nithya Raman. 

[It Wasn’t Fraud. It’s Steyer $$$$.The conspiracy theory is that California cheated. The reality is that Top Two forced Democrats to fight each other in public.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/icon/53759554_1170739903086963_9038685436649668608_n-1-a1ca827b-cda1-4dd4-bb4a-c9c3d6cdc232.jpg)Independent Voter NewsCara Brown McCormick![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/dc/be/dcbe1ac4-146f-43be-92a6-ea84728d86a6/content/images/thumbnail/tom-steyer-california-primary-turnout-42b94566-a142-4d9f-a6af-7796d52260a0.jpg)](https://ivn.us/it-wasnt-fraud-its-steyer/)

Then the crew zooms out to the California governor's race, the bad-faith attacks on top-two primaries, and the record independent (NPP) turnout nobody's covering. Plus: [Maine's remarkably civil ranked-choice governor's primary](https://ivn.us/maines-best-political-story-has-nothing-to-do-with-graham-platners-sexting/), a fight over slow vote counts that even the New York Times is picking, and [a court challenge that could revive open primaries in Oklahoma](https://ivn.us/oklahoma-rejected-nearly-58-000-signatures-for-open-primaries-now-voters-want-answers/). 

**This episode is sponsored by the** [**Independent Voter Project**](https://independentvoterproject.org/?ref=ivn-news.ghost.io) **and produced by** [**Olas Media**](http://olasmedia.com/?ref=ivn-news.ghost.io)**. Listen on** [**Spotify**](https://open.spotify.com/show/1VnqtqjZh9EbmDtVxvHF3R?ref=ivn-news.ghost.io) **or** [**Apple Podcasts**](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-voter-podcast/id1680559155?ref=ivn-news.ghost.io)**.** 

## Episode Highlights

In this episode of **Independent Voter Podcast**, Chad, Shawn, and Cara break down the **2026 Los Angeles mayoral race** and the explosive controversy surrounding **ballot harvesting** in California. 

Progressive-aligned organizations — including the **Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)**, **Our Revolution**, and **SEIU** — supercharged by **billionaire Tom Steyer's $216 million campaign spend**, deployed massive **get-out-the-vote ground operations** in high-density LA neighborhoods that ultimately helped **Nithya Raman overtake Spencer Pratt** to advance to the general election. 

The hosts clarify that while **Trump's election fraud claims** and **election integrity** concerns are driving the national conversation, the real story isn't fraud — it's a perfectly legal, **dark money-adjacent nonprofit turnout machine** that Republicans simply can't compete with in deep-blue urban areas.

The discussion pivots to the **California nonpartisan top-two primary** system and its impact on **voter participation** and **independent voter rights**. 

The crew defends the **top-two primary model** against critics who mischaracterize its purpose, stressing that the system exists to give all voters — including California's **No Party Preference (NPP) voters**, now approaching **25% turnout** — an equal voice regardless of party affiliation. 

The episode also spotlights two emerging **election reform** battlegrounds: **Maine's ranked-choice voting (RCV)** governor's race and **Oklahoma's fight for open primaries**. 

In Maine, RCV produced a rare positive-campaigning, nearly four-way split among Democratic gubernatorial candidates, showcasing how **ranked-choice voting** changes candidate behavior and voter empowerment. 

Meanwhile in Oklahoma, reformers are battling in the **state Supreme Court** over 58,000 disqualified signatures for **State Question 836**, a **nonpartisan primary ballot initiative** that would open primaries to **independent voters** currently locked out of the system. 

Chad, Cara, and Shawn also weigh in on California's **mail-in ballot receipt deadlines** and the ongoing national debate over **election night results**, **ballot curing**, and **election certification timelines** in the context of growing **voter distrust**.