President Donald Trump has raised fresh allegations about the integrity and pace of vote counting in California, claiming without presenting evidence that Democratic officials are engaging in wrongdoing as results from key local and statewide primaries continue to be processed.
His comments come as election officials across the state continue tallying large volumes of mail-in and drop-off ballots, a process that routinely extends well beyond Election Day.
Social Media Posts Escalate Accusations of “Cheating”
In a series of posts published on Truth Social, Trump alleged that Democrats were responsible for what he described as “big cheating,” suggesting that delays in reporting results were suspicious.
He also claimed, again without providing evidence, that a federal investigation was underway in Los Angeles regarding the handling of ballots.
The posts further accused Democratic officials of attempting to “steal” key races, including the California gubernatorial primary and the Los Angeles mayoral contest.
Trump’s remarks centered on two Republican-aligned candidates he has publicly supported: former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton in the governor’s race and reality television personality Spencer Pratt in the Los Angeles mayoral primary.
High-Stakes Races Still Undecided as Ballots Continue to Be Counted
The most closely watched contests remain the California governor’s race and the Los Angeles mayoral primary in Los Angeles.
In the governor’s race, Hilton currently holds a lead with roughly 26.7% of the vote counted, though only a little over half of all ballots have been processed so far.
He is followed closely by former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra with about 25.6%, while billionaire activist Tom Steyer remains in third with nearly 20%, still mathematically within reach depending on the remaining uncounted ballots.
In the Los Angeles mayoral primary, incumbent Karen Bass has already secured a place in the general election runoff. Behind her, Pratt is holding second place with just under 30% of the vote, while City Council member Nithya Raman is trailing closely and still within striking distance as additional ballots are processed.
Why California Vote Counting Takes Longer
Election officials in California consistently caution that the state’s counting process extends well beyond Election Day due to the volume and nature of ballots.
California relies heavily on vote-by-mail systems, which require additional verification steps such as signature checks, envelope sorting, and individual ballot processing.
This is further complicated by the fact that ballots postmarked by Election Day can still be counted if they arrive shortly afterward.
As a result, large batches of votes are often reported days or even weeks after polls close, meaning early results can shift significantly over time as more ballots are included.
California’s System Compared With Faster-Reporting States
The slower reporting pace is not unusual for the state.
California often ranks among the last major states to finalize election totals, in contrast to places like Florida, where most ballots are typically processed within days of Election Day.
Analysts note that while Florida and similar states tend to prioritize in-person voting and rapid tabulation, California’s structure emphasizes accessibility through mail voting, which naturally extends counting timelines.
Late Ballots Could Still Shift Competitive Races
Election analysts say the remaining uncounted ballots could still influence tightly contested races, particularly where margins are narrow.
In Los Angeles, Raman’s campaign is believed to be performing better among later-counted ballots, which historically tend to lean more Democratic.
In the governor’s race, remaining ballots could also reshape the final order between Hilton, Becerra, and Steyer depending on turnout patterns in late-arriving mail votes.
Data tracking groups estimate hundreds of thousands of ballots still remain uncounted statewide, leaving open the possibility of movement in both races before final certification.
What Happens Next as Counting Continues
California’s “jungle primary” system allows the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, to advance to a general election runoff if no candidate reaches a majority.
With counting still ongoing, election officials continue to update totals daily as new batches are verified and processed.
Both major races remain under active tabulation, and officials have indicated that final results may not be fully known for some time, consistent with previous statewide elections.
