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Here's why election results in the second largest US city are so slow
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Here's why election results in the second largest US city are so slow

BBC World · Jun 4, 2026, 10:20 PM · Also reported by 1 other source

Key takeaways

  • But the days-long delay in knowing who won these Tuesday races is a common occurrence in California - the most populous US state that's home to about 23 million registered voters.
  • That's due to a meticulous vote-counting process, compounded by the broad use of mail-in ballots, which are mailed to every registered voter in California.
  • An estimated 80% of California votes are cast by mail and those ballots need to be sorted, validated and counted.

Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.

Nardine Saad Los Angeles Getty Images Every registered voter in California receives a mail-in ballot, which must be posted or dropped into a ballot box by election day to be counted.Election results are still trickling in for primary races across California, including in Los Angeles, where incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is up against reality-star-turned challenger Spencer Pratt to lead the city.

But the days-long delay in knowing who won these Tuesday races is a common occurrence in California - the most populous US state that's home to about 23 million registered voters. Counting these votes - including the millions of mail-in ballots could take weeks.

That's due to a meticulous vote-counting process, compounded by the broad use of mail-in ballots, which are mailed to every registered voter in California.

Article preview — originally published by BBC World. Full story at the source.
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