Trump claims California is cheating because counting votes takes time As late mail-in ballots shift a key local race, the former president demands to know why the state takes weeks to finish.

LEDE

Trusting an election means trusting the slow, boring work of counting papers. When that process takes weeks, it opens the door for doubts to grow.

WHAT HAPPENED

Donald Trump is calling out the vote count in California. He claims there is "BIG cheating" going on by Democrats as local offices slowly tally primary votes.

The former president wants to know why the count takes so long. He also claimed federal lawyers in Los Angeles are looking into the delay.

In reality, California always takes weeks to count its votes. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive up to a week late and still count.

What the money/evidence shows

• California routinely takes up to 30 days to finish counting.
• Spencer Pratt holds second place in the Los Angeles mayor's race with 29.9% of the vote.
• Nithya Raman is gaining ground quickly as late mail-in ballots are counted.
• Late mail-in ballots in California usually favor left-leaning candidates.
• No official proof of cheating has been presented by any campaign.

THE BIGGER QUESTION

Why do we expect instant results in a state with 22 million voters? We want speed, but we also want every single legal vote to count.

When leaders call normal rules "cheating," it chips away at our trust in the system. Can our system survive if we do not trust the math?

THE OTHER SIDE

Supporters of the former president argue that long delays make people lose faith in elections. They believe a secure system should produce clear results on election night to prevent any doubts.

Based on past elections, this argument is weak because California has used this slow, careful system for years without finding widespread fraud.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW

Workers in county offices will keep opening envelopes and counting ballots for the next few weeks. The final matchups for the general election will not be official for a month.

Regular voters will have to wait patiently to see if candidates like Spencer Pratt can hold onto their leads.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

1. Is the U.S. Attorney's Office actually looking into the Los Angeles vote count?
2. How many mail-in ballots are still left to count across the state?
3. Will these claims of cheating affect how people vote in the general election?