Votes are not being found, they are being counted

Elections have become a breeding ground for both misinformation and disinformation. California’s June primary was no different - before the polls even closed on June 2, there were already widespread beliefs that there would be cheating.

Even more worrisome is that these unverified claims of outright cheating are being exacerbated by President Donald Trump claiming on Truth Social that the United States has the “Most Dishonest Elections of any Country.” Yes, California is notorious for counting ballots slowly. Yes, even Democrats wish the process was faster. No, slow counting does not mean there is cheating - it just means it’s slow.

California has long prioritized voting access over quick counts. Mail-in ballots, same-day registration and ballot curing (a process that notifies voters of mistakes on their ballots and allows corrections) are all ways to boost turnout and ensure more people have a say in who represents them. 

A 2025 law gave county elections officials until June 15 to report the majority of ballots. All in all, counties have 30 days from Election Day to process all qualifying ballots. Final results from the June primary must be reported to the Secretary of State by July 3 and will be officially certified by July 10.

For some of the most notable races in the June primary, it did not take nearly as long to call the races as it could have, seeing as there were many millions of votes to be counted. The Los Angeles mayoral race was called after five days, while the governor's race was called exactly one week after the election.

One of the most prominent misinformed claims during this month’s election was a claim that a late-night ballot drop in L.A. consisting of 30,000 ballots had no votes for Republican candidate Spencer Pratt.

This claim spread throughout social media platforms quickly, with many using it as a way to discredit California’s electoral integrity. Despite the claim being debunked by the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli (a loyal Trump supporter), the damage had already been done.

When Pratt eventually lost his lead in the race, it only backed up the claim that he was cheated out of his seat.

This is the exact kind of misinformation that has skyrocketed since Elon Musk took over the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. X users can even earn good money from spreading misinformation on the platform, according to the BBC.

The reality is, early returns tend to show Republicans (like Pratt and Hilton) leading because Republicans tend to vote earlier, making their ballots be counted first. Democrats, especially in this election, tend to wait longer to cast their ballots to see which candidates are leading.

That is why later votes tend to skew blue, not because votes are mysteriously being “found,” as the president often suggests.

The persistent cries of election fraud do more than distort individual races - they erode public confidence in democracy itself. Scrutiny over California’s election laws are valid, but it should be rooted in facts, not viral rumors.