Shawn Griffiths
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - California voters may not know the final results of the June 2 primary on election night. Secretary of State Shirley Weber was even asked ahead of Election Day if they would know the results of the governor’s race Tuesday.
Weber responded, “Probably not.”
The question many then have is, why? Well, for one, it is a hotly contested race. But there is more to it.
California has developed a reputation for taking as long as a month to fully count its ballots. It is a central piece to Republican Don Wagner’s campaign as he seeks to unseat Weber and take over as secretary of state.
“While other large states can finish vote counts and announce results on Election Night, California takes 30 excruciating days,” he said in his official voter guide statement.
“We are usually the last state in the country to stop counting and report final results. That’s embarrassing and unacceptable.”
In response to this kind of criticism, Weber said, “I know the value of being fast for some folks. For me, accuracy is far more important.”
By law, California gives county elections officials 30 days to count every valid ballot, verify signatures, “cure” ballots, process provisional ballots, conduct audits, and complete the official canvass. All of that goes into the process.
In any state in the US, the vote tally people see on their television, computer, or phone on election night are not the official numbers. The tallies are useful, especially when contest results can be projected. However, they are not complete.
The reason in California starts with vote-by-mail—and every registered voter gets a mail-in ballot.
Voters can return ballots in several ways: by mail, at a secure drop box, at a vote center or polling place, or at a county elections office. Ballots returned in person must be delivered by 8 pm on June 2.
Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by county elections officials no later than June 9, 2026. So, when polls close, there may still be valid ballots in the mail.
That, by itself, is a major factor into why the vote count takes so long. Now, add signature verification, ballot curing, provisional ballots, same-day registration ballots, and county-by-county reporting schedules.
Some argue that election officials should not accept mail-in ballots up to a week after the election, regardless of when they are postmarked. This is a conversation voters should have and consider.
However, a month-long vote counting process is not necessarily evidence of a fraudulent or broken election. It is evidence that there are many variables to consider when talking about how votes are counted.
This is especially important in close races.
California’s nonpartisan Top Two primary determines which two candidates advance to the November general election in statewide, legislative, and congressional races. In a crowded field, a second-place finish can be decided by a narrow margin.
Like, for example, the 2026 governor's race
This means the “who advances?” question may not be settled on election night, especially if late-counted ballots shift the order. This does not mean a candidate “came from behind.” Those votes were always there. They just hadn’t been counted yet.
Election night results can reflect the ballots counted first, not the electorate as a whole. In some counties, early results may include ballots received before Election Day.
Later updates may include ballots dropped off on Election Day, mailed ballots received after Election Day, provisional ballots, and ballots from voters who used same-day registration.
Again, this does not mean the vote is changing. It means more votes are being counted.
This distinction matters because the information vacuum after Election Day is often filled by partisan spin. Candidates who are ahead may declare victory too early. Candidates who are behind may claim the process is suspicious.
Outside groups may point to normal updates as proof of something improper. Social media may turn routine counting into a scandal before election officials have finished their work.
Many independent and No Party Preference voters already distrust a political system dominated by the two major parties. But voters should exercise caution when partisan campaigns try to weaponize that distrust against the vote count itself.
California’s process includes built-in steps that take time. Vote-by-mail envelopes must be checked. Signatures must be verified. Voters whose signatures are missing or challenged must be given an opportunity to fix the issue.
Then, there are provisional ballots that must be reviewed. Counties must reconcile records and conduct required post-election checks before results are certified. All of these steps matter to the integrity and legitimacy of an election.
Does it mean there aren’t more efficient ways? No. But it also by itself is not evidence of something nefarious. In fact, California does not even have the longest window to certify election results (meaning it isn't always the slowest).
For example, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Nebraska’s due date for precinct reports to be turned into the secretary of state is eight weeks after the election. Certificates of election must be prepared and delivered within 40 days.
In Ohio, local boards complete the canvass by the 21st day after the election, but state law says the canvass is deemed final 81 days after Election Day. This means the vote count and results can be updated up to that point unless an earlier date is set.
California is certainly one of the slowest states to finalize election results. But it is not always the slowest. Some states give themselves longer, some have office-specific timelines that extend beyond California’s, and a few do not set a firm statewide completion deadline at all.
This is because each state has their own process to ensure a legitimate and complete vote count.
For California voters curious about the status of their own ballot, anyone who returns a vote-by-mail ballot can use California’s “Where’s My Ballot?” tracking system to receive updates by text, email, or phone when their ballot is mailed, received, and counted.
They can also find out if there is a problem that needs to be fixed—which California gives them time to do.
If a ballot is challenged because of a signature issue, the voter may still have a chance to correct it. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that voters with signature problems in the June 2 primary have until June 24 to cure their ballots.
That is another reason the count does not end the moment polls close.
Voters will get updates after election night. Some races will be so close they will remain unresolved. Candidates and campaigns will no doubt frame the numbers in a way that benefits them.
It is important for Californians to look beyond the narratives they hear from campaigns and remember that a slow count—on its own—is not a scandal. Election night is the beginning of the results process. It is not the end.