In this undated file photo, the California State Capitol is shown in Sacramento, Calif.STOCK IMAGE/Getty Images
Although California’s primary election day has concluded, the final tally of votes and certain projections may take days or even weeks to be finalized.
The state, which boasts the largest population in the nation, is home to 23 million registered voters, necessitating substantial time for the accurate tabulation of all ballots.
Beyond the sheer quantity of votes, the state also utilizes a considerable number of mail-in ballots, some of which are not received until a full week after the voting period concludes.
As per the California Secretary of State, “mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and received within seven days after the election, along with any provisional ballots cast, must still be counted.”
County election authorities have up to 30 days post-election to complete the ballot counting process. The final election results are due to be submitted to the secretary of state by July 3, 2026.
The procedure for counting mail ballots and verifying voter signatures is also quite demanding, as each signature on an envelope must correspond with the signatures on record, which can contribute to further postponements.
In this undated file photo, the California State Capitol is shown in Sacramento, Calif.STOCK IMAGE/Getty Images
On Tuesday, the initial vote tallies incorporated early mail, early in-person, and Election Day ballots. Early votes were permitted to be counted in advance but could not be publicly disclosed until after the polls had closed.
“On Election Night, we will have a good picture of the outcome of most contests, but it will take weeks to know the final results. This is normal,” Secretary of State Shirley Weber stated in a release following the close of polls.
However, given that an indeterminate number of mail-in ballots are still outstanding, it remains possible for newly arriving votes to influence the outcome of a race, contrary to what the initial election returns suggested.
By Thursday, California counties are anticipated to provide the secretary of state with an estimated report detailing the remaining unprocessed ballots, which will then be made public.
Nevertheless, this familiar, protracted delay might soon become a relic of the past in California and across the country. This month, the Supreme Court is slated to render a decision on a lawsuit filed by the Republican National Committee, which seeks to abolish the practice of counting mail-in ballots that are cast on time but arrive late.
Earlier this year, the justices indicated that they are prepared to curtail this practice.
President Donald Trump has voiced strong opposition to California’s mail-in ballots for years, frequently accusing, without substantiation, that this voting method is “rigged” to favor Democrats.
This is despite Trump himself casting a mail ballot earlier this year for a special election in Florida, which the White House described as a “common-sense exception” to the voting method the president favors.
A spokesperson for the White House mentioned that Trump supports “common-sense exceptions” that permit Americans to use mail-in ballots for reasons such as “illness, disability, military, or travel,” but he opposes universal mail-in voting due to its perceived high susceptibility to fraud.
An examination conducted by the Brookings Institution in November 2025 concluded that voter fraud is infrequent in mail-in voting.
“As everyone is aware, the President resides in Palm Beach and participates in Florida elections, but he primarily lives at the White House in Washington, D.C.,” spokesperson Olivia Wales stated in a release.
Currently, 29 states and Washington, D.C., offer a grace period for late-arriving ballots for a portion of their voters. Should the Republicans prevail in the Supreme Court case, only ballots received by Election Day or earlier would be considered valid.
While a ruling this month would likely not affect California’s primary election, it would become effective for the November general and midterm runoff elections.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com