DeSantis Critiques California’s Election Voting Process

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently took to social media to express his dissatisfaction with the election process in California, particularly highlighting the lengthy vote counting times.

On Wednesday, DeSantis (R-Fla.) made comparisons between the ways Florida and California handle ballot counting, following an inconclusive primary election in California that took place on Tuesday.

“Florida processes more than 10 million votes in a matter of hours. California takes days or even weeks to count. This is pathetic and corrosive to our civic culture,” DeSantis stated on X.

This criticism comes after multiple states conducted their primaries, including a bipartisan gubernatorial primary in California.

The California Secretary of State’s office noted that all active registered voters received mail-in ballots automatically for this election. Voters have options to either mail their ballots, drop them off, or vote in person at polling locations.

Notably, mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days thereafter. The office indicated it could take about a month to complete counting and certifying results, with the Secretary of State set to confirm the election results on July 10th, 38 days post-election.

A new California law intended to expedite the counting process allows officials 13 days to finish counting ballots after an election, but there are exceptions for certain ballots, and election workers may request extensions if necessary.

The reasoning behind long vote-counting times is to ensure proper counting for every ballot.

“Many voters are choosing to return their mail-in ballots on Election Day. These ballots are valid and deserve the same level of care, security, and verification as every other ballot cast in an election,” stated the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk in a post on X.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer, who is also a billionaire, responded to presidential critiques on California’s voting process by emphasizing the importance of taking time to count votes accurately.

“Donald Trump is no fan of free and fair elections, but we already knew that. California: We are counting every vote. Thank you for your patience as we give our democracy time to work,” Steyer tweeted on Thursday.

Yet, skepticism remains among many regarding the justification for an extended counting process.

Erica Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and widow of the well-known conservative figure Charlie Kirk, weighed in on Steyer’s remarks.

“This kind of rhetoric is intentional. We say ‘all votes’ instead of ‘all legal votes.’ That’s the bottom line. The real issue is making sure we only count the votes legally cast by actual eligible American voters. No more, no less. We the people deserve better!” she commented.

In a following development, Trump accused Democrats of trying to fraudulently “steal” the election during a post on Truth Social.

“Look at what’s happening in California. Democrats are stealing votes right before our eyes. I hope the Republicans are watching so they can finally pass the American Rescue Act!” he wrote on Thursday.

Another point of concern revolves around the nonpartisan primary for Los Angeles mayor, involving incumbent Karen Bass, TV personality Spencer Pratt, and city council member Nitya Raman.

DeSantis remarked on news about Pratt’s diminishing chances of winning, suggesting a perception that votes were being counted strategically to arrive at a certain outcome.

“California continues to dump votes. The odds are changing because vote dumping always seems to go one way. Why not count until you get the result you want?” DeSantis said.