Millions of Californians are still waiting for their votes to count while officials look for fraud

Federal prosecutors are looking into the state's primary election while 3.5 million ballots remain uncounted.

When you cast your vote, you expect it to count quickly and without drama. But right now, millions of Californians are left in limbo as politicians trade accusations of cheating.

WHAT HAPPENED

Election workers in California have already counted 5 million ballots from this week's primary. But they still have 3.5 million more to go. State law gives officials 30 days to check signatures and count every valid vote.

On Friday, federal prosecutor Bill Essayli announced his office is investigating claims of election fraud. He did not give any details or point to specific cases.

This announcement came after Donald Trump posted on social media that Democrats were cheating in the state. He also did not share any proof to back up his claim.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS

5 million ballots have been counted so far.

• 3.5 million ballots are still waiting to be processed.
• Election workers have 30 days to finish the official count.
• Steve Hilton has 26 percent of the governor vote, while Tom Steyer has 21 percent.
• Spencer Pratt has 28 percent of the Los Angeles mayor vote, while Nithya Raman has 25 percent.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

Why does it take so long to count votes in California? Other states finish in hours, but California takes weeks to verify signatures and mail-in envelopes. This delay creates a gap where rumors and distrust can easily grow.

Is our slow system hurting our trust in democracy? We need to ask if a thorough process is worth the suspicion it causes when results take weeks to finalize.

THE OTHER SIDE

State officials say the slow count is proof the system works. They spend weeks checking signatures on envelopes against signatures on file to stop fraud. There is currently no public evidence of any widespread cheating in this election.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

For regular voters, this means major races remain undecided. Candidates like Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer, Spencer Pratt, and Nithya Raman are stuck in political limbo. The final results will not be official for another month.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

What specific evidence of fraud did federal officials find to start their review?

• How many ballots will be rejected because signatures do not match?
• Who will win the second spots in the governor and mayor races to move on to November?