Our View: Slow, but sure California elections should be faster

We have a choice. Make it easier for people to vote, or harder.

California is one of the nation's most voter-accessible states. In addition to mailing voters a hefty advance pamphlet containing information about candidates and measures, registered voters are sent ballots that can be returned by mail, deposited in drop boxes, or returned in person at election voting centers. Voters also can cast their ballots by showing up in person on Election Day, or before, and voting electronically, or on a paper ballot.

Along with this expanded access comes layers of time-consuming security, including tedious verification of voter signatures, and contacting voters to clarify discrepancies.

Along with accessibility, we want voting to be secure. Every vote should count. Every count should be accurate. Our democracy depends on that. Security measures are enforced to assure that.

The combination of increased access, security demands and the massive number of ballots cast in California delays vote counting.

We are experiencing that now. Tuesday was Election Day. But the vote counting will go on for days, maybe weeks.

Contrary to what some people want us to believe, there is nothing sinister, or fraudulent going on. Making it easier to vote, while protecting the count, is time consuming.

Oh sure, some states are faster. But that is because they make it harder to vote.

Fourteen states allow voters to cast ballots by mail (absentee ballots) only if required state-approved "excuses" are given and satisfied. They include serious illness and planned absence from the state. Three of those states do not allow early voting. Voters must show up at polling places between set hours only on Election Day. If you are a shift worker, or a caregiver without a flexible schedule, or you rely on someone else to get to the polls, voting on a single day and place may not be possible.

But that does not mean Californians should simply accept the state's current slow vote-counting pace. Changes can and should be made.

California is one of 14 states that allow elections to be conducted by mail and give voters a "grace period" for ballots to arrive in election offices, as long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day. Grace periods range from Texas' one day to Washington state's 21. California's is seven days. Grace periods, with the exception of those for military ballots, may be eliminated by the U.S. Supreme Court, which is expected to rule this month on a challenge.

Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring county elections offices to have votes counted within 13 days of an election. But it's a head-scratcher as to what that really does. Elections officials still have 30 days to certify results. That time is spent processing ballots and "curing" problems.

Other steps, many suggested by Kim Alexander, head of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, should be taken:

- Voter education and use of technology. Several counties are testing a Sign, Scan and Go system. Rather than dumping last-minute ballots into the mail, or drop boxes, encourage voters to fill out their ballots at home, go to a voting center, sign in and scan their ballots. This eliminates the time-consuming signature verification and processing that delay the count.

- Better manage and coordinate voter rolls at the state level.

- Increase state funding to support elections. As voter access and outreach has increased with the passage of laws, the state has been stingy in providing counties with money to support the efforts. The vote count delay begins in county offices that are being required to do more, but with no more money.

- Bring technical innovation to a process that for 250 years has been at the heart of our democracy. After the last vote is counted in the November general election, the Secretary of State should convene a task force of county elections officials, elected representatives and tech entrepreneurs to identify systems and policies that will make the 2028 election safe and efficient.

Meanwhile, we must remain patient. California's current system may be slow, but it is inclusive and safe. Don't be duped by those who try to convince us otherwise.

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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 6:08 PM.