Millions of Californians voted days ago, but nobody knows who actually won.
More than 36 hours after polls closed, key races for governor and Los Angeles mayor remain completely up in the air.
Voting is supposed to give us quick answers. But right now, millions of people in our biggest state are left in total limbo while workers slowly count paper ballots.
WHAT HAPPENED
California had a major primary election on Tuesday. The top two winners in each race move on to the big election in November, no matter their political party.
For governor, former TV host Steve Hilton and former federal secretary Xavier Becerra are leading. But billionaire Tom Steyer is still close behind as new votes come in.
In Los Angeles, current Mayor Karen Bass secured her spot for November. But her rival is still a mystery, with reality star Spencer Pratt and city worker Nithya Raman stuck in a tie.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
Counties have 30 days to count every legal vote.
- Mail-in ballots are valid if postmarked by election day and arrive within 7 days.
- More than 10 major counties plan to drop new vote numbers on Thursday afternoon.
- Three major Democratic candidates have already conceded their races.
- The gap between the top mayoral rivals in Los Angeles is within the margin of error.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
Why does it take so long to count votes in the age of fast technology? We want secure elections, but long delays can make people lose trust in the system.
Is this slow process a sign of a healthy democracy that double-checks everything, or is it a broken system that needs to be fixed?
THE OTHER SIDE
Election officials say the slow count is on purpose. They want to make sure every single mail-in ballot is real and counted correctly.
This argument is very strong because accuracy is more important than speed when choosing our leaders.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
The waiting game affects real people. Candidates cannot start planning their final campaigns, and voters do not know who will face off in November.
We will get more updates on Thursday evening, but the final official results could take a full month.
WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW
- Will late mail-in ballots help Tom Steyer pull ahead in the governor race?
- Can Spencer Pratt hold his lead over Nithya Raman in Los Angeles?
- Will these long delays make voters less likely to trust the final results in November?
Transparency notes
Published: Jun 4, 2026. No major post-publication update has been logged.
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Sources
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