THE RACE FOR LA'S FUTURE IS DOWN TO A COIN FLIP AS THE COUNT DRAGS ON

Spencer Pratt’s lead over Nithya Raman has dropped to just 1% while thousands of late ballots are finally being tallied.

When you cast a vote, you expect it to count right away. But for Los Angeles, the wait for a new leader is turning into a test of patience.

WHAT HAPPENED

Days after the polls closed, the gap between Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman has almost vanished. Pratt started with a strong lead on election night.

Now, new batches of mail-in ballots are favoring Raman. This shift has turned a clear win into a razor-thin margin.

Both candidates are now locked in a dead heat. They are moving toward a final face-off in the November runoff election.

WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS

• The lead has shrunk to exactly 1%.
• Thousands of ballots arrived or were processed after election day.
• The two candidates are now separated by a tiny fraction of the city.
• Counting has continued for several days past the initial vote.
• Projections show neither candidate has a clear path to an early win.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

Why does it take so long to count paper in the second-largest city in America? We have the tech to do things fast, but the rules make it slow.

This delay leaves voters in the dark. When the count drags on, it makes people doubt the system even when everything is being done by the book.

THE OTHER SIDE

Pratt’s supporters say the slow pace is frustrating and hurts voter trust. They feel the early lead showed what the city really wants before the late surge. This argument is common in close races, but the law requires every legal vote to be counted regardless of the clock.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

Both candidates are gearing up for a massive fight in November. This delay means they have less time to focus on fixing the city's problems.

Instead, they are spending more time and money on legal teams and watching the tally. For residents, it means the big issues like housing and safety stay on hold.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

1. How many ballots are actually left to count in the total pool?
2. Which specific neighborhoods are the late votes coming from?
3. Will the final margin be small enough to trigger an automatic recount?

SOURCE NOTE: Information from Fox News. All results are unofficial until certified.