The slow pace of vote counting in California’s primary elections isn’t just an oversight—it’s a deliberate choice by lawmakers. Investigative journalist Peter Schweitzer raises an interesting question: “If we legalize election fraud, is it still fraud?”
The primaries for governor and mayor of Los Angeles have drawn significant attention, yet the results remain unofficial for at least another week. Many voters and observers express frustration over California’s election system, often labeling it incompetent. But the truth is, this slow counting is built into the system, favoring the least secure voting methods. This setup almost guarantees that the Democratic establishment remains in control. Since 2011, California’s leaders have crafted this system into a stronghold.
“We examine the specifics of ‘legal changes’ in California, like voting methods, voter eligibility, how votes are counted, and ballot delivery,” Schweitzer noted in a recent episode of the drill down Podcast. “All of this essentially legitimizes fraud in the state.”
In 2018, Eggers published a book titled Fraud: How the left will try to steal the next election, exploring the various ways American elections have been manipulated throughout history. He and Schweitzer elaborate on how California has become synonymous with poor election administration, coining the term “functional gain electoral fraud.”
“California’s election process is disgraceful, but it’s a result of intentional design rather than oversight,” Eggers stated. He referred to comments from U.S. Attorney Bill Esseri, who remarked, “Our system is flawed. Universal mail-in voting and no voter ID are a recipe for fraud. It’s challenging to track voter eligibility in California.”
As Schweitzer and Eggers explain, the current system started taking shape in 2011 when California enacted online voter registration (SB 397). An analysis conducted afterward showed that over 40,000 duplicate registrations popped up in Los Angeles County almost immediately.
In 2013, the state permitted noncitizens to act as poll workers (AB 817). Eggers made a humorous remark, saying, “It’s curious—you can get close to the buffet, but you’re not actually allowed to eat.”
The following year, California started issuing driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, automatically registering them to vote in the process. “This is concerning because California election officials can’t access DMV and Homeland Security data to verify citizenship,” Schweitzer pointed out. “So, checking citizenship status is essentially impossible.”
“It’s quite astonishing, really,” Schweitzer added.
California also authorized the automatic mailing of ballots to all registered voters and lowered the pre-registration age to 16. Subsequently, legislation mandated that all vote counting take place at central facilities instead of individual precincts. Additionally, lawmakers set lax standards for processing mail-in ballots, allowing them to bypass verified voter signatures.
In 2016, California legalized “ballot harvesting,” a practice where ballots collected from places like nursing homes could be handled by anyone. This practice allows individuals to submit countless completed ballots, unlike most states that limit this to family members. Eggers mentions the vulnerabilities associated with what Florida officials call “grandma farming.”
Expanding on these changes, in 2019, California allowed individuals to use commercial addresses for voter registration or mail-in ballots. A woman from Los Angeles County recently pleaded guilty to paying people, including homeless individuals in Skid Row, to register to vote, all while using her former address on the registration forms.
Reports reveal that thousands of homeless voters were registered at shelters in Los Angeles, even though many were not residing there. One drop-in center received substantial funds from a Socialist Party candidate, who had 185 registered voters there despite a lack of beds, as noted by California Post.
Citizen journalists working with James O’Keefe’s organization released footage showing political operatives offering cigarettes to homeless individuals on the streets as an incentive to register to vote.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, California’s leadership made universal mail-in voting a permanent fixture.
“It’s reminiscent of what kids today call ‘goblin mode’,” Eggers remarked.
“Ultimately, California has constructed a system that is easily exploitable, and this is entirely intentional,” Schweitzer concluded.
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