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Today, a newly-elected class of state lawmakers was sworn into office — before their election results are certified. And in one competitive Assembly district, a leading candidate took office even though her race is still not called.
This is the reality under California’s notoriously slow ballot counting process — a process that one state lawmaker is vowing to change.
Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Palo Alto Democrat who led the Assembly Elections Committee from 2017 to 2021, is introducing legislation to help counties speed up the ballot counting process. He was also the author of the law that made vote-by-mail permanent in California.
The details of the bill are unclear, as Berman told CalMatters he plans to speak with county election officials about changes they wish to see and also explore the possibility of increased funding for ballot counting.