CVF in the News

How California could count every vote faster

By Alexei Koseff And Sameea Kamal, Cal Matters, November 17, 2022

Excerpt:

For more than a week after the Nov. 8 election, control of the U.S. House of Representatives remained undetermined. All eyes had turned to more than half a dozen uncalled races in California when, on Wednesday, the Associated Press projected victory for Rep. Mike Garcia in his Los Angeles-area district, finally handing Republicans a slim majority in the new Congress.

As tense days ticked by without resolution, political pundits across the country once again lamented why the vote count takes so long in California, while conservatives resurfaced concerns that late-arriving ballots and slow results exposed Democratic efforts to steal close races.

In reality, the extended count, which will take a month to finish, is a consequence of California’s shift to overwhelmingly voting by mail, a convenience that requires several additional steps of verification by local officials once ballots arrive.

EXPLAINER: Why California Has So Many Votes Left to Count

By Kathleen Ronayne, Associated Press, November 16, 2022

Excerpt:

California delivered Republicans the seat they needed Wednesday to take control of the U.S. House, but just how much of an edge the GOP will have in the chamber remains uncertain as the state’s seemingly drawn-out vote count continues.

After the balance of power in Washington sat in limbo for days, Republican incumbent Mike Garcia's victory in the 27th Congressional District finally won the party its 218th seat. Five of the seven other races The Associated Press has yet to call are in California, though one is between two Democrats.

In some of those races, ballots are coming in at a trickle.

Placer County in California's 3rd Congressional District, for example, reports that it has more than 105,000 outstanding ballots. The county added just 490 votes to its totals in the district Tuesday, and it doesn't expect to report results again until Friday.

Why is California still counting Election Ballots

By Soumya Karlamangla, New York Times, November 16, 2022

Excerpt:

The election was over a week ago, but we’re still anxiously awaiting the results of several key races.

The winner of the tight contest for Los Angeles mayor has yet to be determined, and more than three dozen state legislative races remain undecided. As of Tuesday night, six of the nine uncalled U.S. House races were in California.

Perhaps you’re wondering why the Golden State seems to take so long to count ballots. I was, too, so I asked some election experts for their insight.

I had often heard that the delay was because California is an enormous state, with nearly 22 million registered voters. But while it’s true that we have more votes to count, we also have more election workers to help guide the process along, so volume probably isn’t the primary factor.

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Too-close-to-call California congressional races may decide U.S. House majority

By Madisen Keavy, CBS Sacramento, November 14, 2022

Excerpt:

Too-close-to-call congressional races in California may decide power in the U.S. House of Representatives, from a Democratic majority to a Republican majority.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan group that tracks and researches election results, has five California congressional races deemed a "toss-up" and six that are considered competitive.

Congressional District 9, between Democratic candidate Josh Harder and Republican Tom Patti, according to the Cook Political Report is leaning Democrat, which means the race is competitive but one party has an advantage.

Congressional District 13, between Democratic candidate and Assemblyman Adam Gray and Republican candidate and farmer John Duarte is dubbed a toss-up, and still too close to call.

Both Duarte and Gray were in Washington D.C. on Monday for new member orientation.

Slow election results might show a wider access to voting opportunities

By Staff, KNX Los Angeles, November 10, 2022

We keep waiting and waiting for election results but so far nothing to point us toward any kind of definitive conclusion to the midterm elections or even key local elections like the LA mayor's race. Why does it take so long? Kim Alexander is president of the California Voter Foundation.

Why it could take weeks to get final L.A. election results. ‘We aren’t sitting on ballots’

By Julia Wick & Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, November 10, 2022

Excerpt:

An adage known as the election administrator’s prayer goes something like this: “Dear Lord, let this election not be close.”

When results are overwhelmingly clear, there are far fewer doubts about the integrity of the election process or frustrations with the procedures.

But in Tuesday’s hotly contested Los Angeles mayor’s race between Rick Caruso and Karen Bass, as well as some down-ballot contests, the results are not overwhelmingly clear. In fact, it could take weeks to determine a winner in some races.

California’s shift to mail-in balloting means that voting begins weeks before election day and tabulation continues for weeks after, meaning results can remain murky in all but the most lopsided races immediately following an election.

Votes are being counted with "pig and the python" phenomenon in effect

By Madisen Keavy, CBS Sacramento, November 9, 2022

Excerpt:

Thousands of vote-by-mail ballots are stacked in the Placer County Elections Office waiting to be processed and then counted, as part of the democratic process.

There are crucial and legal steps that the teams reviewing mail-in ballots must adhere to in California to ensure every vote is accurately counted, there are no duplicate votes, and the signature on the ballot matches the name it's been assigned.

The process is happening in counties all over the country and across California, especially, due to the fact that all active registered voters in the state receive a vote-by-mail ballot. A shift from two decades in the state, according to voting experts.

Fact Check-Noncitizens cannot vote in California congressional elections

By Reuters Fact Check, Reuters, November 9, 2022

Excerpts:

Noncitizens are not eligible to vote in California congressional elections, despite the claim resurfacing online ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Social media users shared a graphic online with text that reads: “Now that California is registering non-citizens to vote and has refused to cooperate with the Federal Election Integrity Program, all votes from California should be nullified and Federal Representatives from the state be removed from Congress.”

Examples of the claim shared online can be found (here), (here), (here).

Voting by mail, drop box a big part of turnout on a rainy midterm Election Day

By Janelle Salanga, Capital Public Radio, November 8, 2022

Excerpts:

Despite the rain Tuesday, election officials in the Sacramento region say early impressions of voter turnout are relatively consistent with the rates of voting in midterm elections.

Ballots will continue to be counted and tabulated over the following days and weeks, so a fuller picture of turn-out won’t be available immediately – ballots postmarked by Election Day may arrive up to a week later, meaning a more solid snapshot of turn-out won’t be available until at least Nov. 15.

Early waves of reported results will reflect vote-by-mail ballots turned in early and ballots cast in-person at election sites.

In Sacramento County, spokesperson Janna Haynes said around 6:30 p.m., roughly 11,000 people had voted in-person on Tuesday — “a drop in the bucket in comparison to our complete voter turnout.”

Election Day | Last Minute Tips | Latino Vote | Author ‘Bravo Company: An Afghanistan Deployment and its Aftermath.’

By Vicki Gonzalez, Capital Public Radio, November 8, 2022

Kim Alexander, President of the California Voter Foundation, joins us to navigate last-minute voting in California and the greater Sacramento area. We will also discuss new protections afforded to election day workers and monitor any news regarding irregularities or voter intimidation across the country and here at home. (Full Audio, scroll down to "Last minute voting tips")

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