California’s election process is once again under scrutiny as the state’s famously sluggish vote-counting operation drags on, nearly two weeks after Election Day. Despite its penchant for touting itself as a bastion of democracy, California has only processed about three-quarters of the votes. With two critical House seats still undecided, the state’s electoral inefficiency has become a national spectacle, sparking frustration and skepticism over its convoluted system.
Republicans have already clinched control of the House, but Democrats are clinging to the faint hope of flipping two remaining California districts to narrow the GOP’s margin. With a slimmer Republican majority, it would be harder for Donald Trump’s America First policies to gain traction in Congress. The Democratic Party’s desperation to salvage these seats is palpable as they focus their energy on dragging out the vote count in these key races.
The contested districts include California’s 45th, where GOP Rep. Michelle Steel faces a tight challenge from Democrat Derek Tran, and the 13th, where Republican John Duarte holds a razor-thin lead over Democrat Adam Gray. In the 45th, Tran has been steadily closing the gap, with the race now down to a nail-biting 36 votes and 9% of ballots still uncounted. Meanwhile, Duarte leads by just 1% in the 13th District, with tens of thousands of ballots still waiting to be processed. The prolonged delays have left these races in limbo, frustrating voters and candidates alike.
The root of California’s counting chaos lies in its infatuation with mail-in ballots. Under state rules, any ballot postmarked by Election Day and received up to a week later is valid. While mail-in voting is hailed by some as a tool for increasing voter turnout, critics argue it’s a logistical nightmare that creates a flood of ballots just as election workers should be wrapping up their tallies. Coupled with long wait times for in-person voting, the system has become a poster child for bureaucratic inefficiency.
California’s shift toward universal mail-in voting began in 2016, expanded statewide during the pandemic, and was permanently implemented for the 2022 midterms. Advocates claim the system enhances accessibility and inclusivity, though the snail-paced results suggest otherwise. Even Democrat Assemblyman Marc Berman admitted the delays are frustrating but dismissed them as a small price to pay for voter participation. For a state that prides itself on setting an example for the nation, California’s inability to deliver timely election results is a glaring contradiction. The Golden State may love its progressive ideals, but when it comes to running efficient elections, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
