California’s efforts to simplify voting have come under scrutiny after nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected in June. This figure represents the highest number of rejections in a recent statewide primary.
The state has invested years in making voting more accessible by sending mail-in ballots to all registered voters. Additionally, these ballots can be accepted up to seven days post-Election Day, provided they’re postmarked by the deadline.
However, data from the California Secretary of State’s Office indicates that early voting was a major factor contributing to wasted votes, despite the extended deadline, as reported by the Associated Press.
Specifically, a total of 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected in June, which accounts for about 1.73% of all mail-in votes. This is noticeably higher than the rejection counts of 108,982 for the 2024 primary and 105,818 for the 2022 primary.
The predominant factor for the rejections was timing.
Over 93,000 ballots were turned away because they were received late, an increase from approximately 70,000 in 2022 and 76,000 in 2024.
Voting experts believe that the issue may not be the arrival time at election offices but rather when these ballots are postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service. Changes in the way the Postal Service operates, including consolidation and larger processing facilities, may have an impact.
Kim Alexander, president of the California Voters Foundation, pointed out that ballots rejected for lateness are often a result of being postmarked late, rather than simply arriving after the deadline.
She noted that the surge in rejections should be examined closely, particularly since many voters delayed their choices until the last minute in a tense gubernatorial race.
Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, echoed concerns about the rising rate of late ballot rejections, questioning the reasons behind this trend.
Issues regarding postal delays have reached federal discussions as well.
Recently, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily permitted changes to election mail rules that would require states to provide voter lists and serialized ballot barcodes before sending federal ballots, a move deemed vital for enhancing election security.
Refusal rates varied by county, with Tulare County recording the highest at 3.52%. Following closely were Alpine and Merced counties at 3.36% each.
Around 44,000 ballots were rejected due to mismatched signatures, while more than 8,300 were discarded because voters neglected to sign the return envelope.
Other reasons for rejection included instances where voters had cast another vote, if the ballot was missing, or when multiple ballots were returned in a single envelope.
The rejection data does not specify whether the rejected votes came from Democrats, Republicans, or independent voters.
California’s prolonged vote-counting process has faced criticism, with results often taking weeks to finalize. This mail-heavy system stands in stark contrast to states like Florida and Texas, where election results tend to be counted much more quickly.
Following the primary elections, former President Donald Trump renewed his criticisms of California’s election processes, prompting the Justice Department to investigate elections in Los Angeles County.
While there’s no evidence pointing to widespread fraud in mail-in voting, voter fraud investigations have become increasingly prioritized by the Trump administration.
The top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles has requested that Governor Gavin Newsom provide proof that there’s no voter fraud occurring in California, especially after Newsom labeled Trump’s claims as “false and misleading.” In response, Bill Essayli, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, challenged the governor to allow an audit of voter rolls, asking rhetorically, “What do we have to hide?”
