California report finds slowest U.S. vote count tied to mail ballots and registration system

A report released Thursday by a California election watchdog identified the state’s vote-counting process as the slowest in the nation and attributed the delays to administrative bottlenecks that could be addressed through targeted changes. The California Voter Foundation issued the findings before a July 2 deadline for counties to certify results from this month’s primary election.

The report noted that the extended timeline left voters waiting days after Election Day for outcomes in the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral races.

Mail ballot and registration procedures The foundation said much of the delay stems from a mail-voting system that accepts ballots postmarked by Election Day and received up to one week later. Additional factors include signature mismatches that trigger a notification process allowing up to 22 days for corrections and a requirement that counties wait for voter-record updates in a centralized database before processing provisional ballots.

The report also pointed to California’s “bottom-up” voter registration model, used by only a handful of states, as a source of further slowdowns. Officials in Placer County demonstrated that upgraded equipment and facilities more than doubled the share of ballots counted in the first week compared with 2022.

Recommendations and external developments The foundation recommended electronic signature-curing options via text or phone and statewide campaigns urging earlier ballot submission. It stated that faster results and broad voter access are compatible with additional state investment and guidance.

Separately, the nation’s top postal official confirmed that a proposal is under consideration to restrict mail-ballot delivery in states that do not share voter data with the federal government. A pending Supreme Court decision could also affect rules on late-arriving mail ballots.