When polling places and voter centers in California close at 8 p.m. following the Nov. 5 General Election, the wait will begin for official results — and it could be a long one.
County elections officials across the state must certify the results of the vote by Dec. 3, 28 days after the election. 10 days later, the California secretary of state will certify the results.
So why does it take so long for California to finalize election results?
Large turnout
The state has more registered voters than any other. But that’s largely because California makes it so easy for citizens to be able to vote.
“In the last three elections, six to eight times more voters voted on the mail-in ballot than in person,” said Stephenie Shea, San Bernardino County’s registrar of voters, ahead of the March 5 primary. “That requires additional time than in-person ballots.”
In the March 5 primary election, 88.64% of California voters voted by mail, according to data from the California secretary of state.
Voting by mail has been popular in California for years. But it got a big shot in the arm with the coronavirus pandemic. To avoid spreading COVID-19 to voters — and poll workers, many of them older volunteers — every registered voter in California was issued a ballot by mail. The practice continues four years later.
