California voters facing long waits for election results just got a boost from a federal appeals court ruling that could reshape how ballots are handled nationwide. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday temporarily allowed the US Postal Service to move forward with a proposed election-mail rule requiring states to provide voter lists and serialized ballot barcodes before federal ballots are mailed - a move supporters say will strengthen election safeguards.
For California, where nearly all voters receive ballots by mail, the decision could mark a major turning point in the ongoing battle over election confidence following repeated complaints about slow vote counts and unproven allegations of widespread fraud. “This ruling is a win for election integrity and would have significant implications for states like California that refuse to submit their voter rolls to verify compliance with federal election laws,” said First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli.
California vote counts normally take as long as a month to certify. California has the largest number of registered voters in the nation - more than 23 million. California is the most populous state in the U.S., with an estimated population of approximately 39.3 to 39.5 million residents - that means 59% of the people there can vote?
The election results are never final until the Secretary of State has compiled the official statewide results after all county election officials have reported their official canvass of the votes.
By law, California county election officials have 30 days, also known as the canvass period. During the official canvass, county elections officials will process and count provisional ballots, ballots from voters who registered and voted conditionally (Same Day Voter Registration), and vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days of the election.
California's slow vote count is largely a product of state law and policy choices that prioritize voter access and ballot verification over speed.
That's about to change - for the better. Hopefully...
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ballot verification. now thats funny.
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