California Primary Election Ballot Counting and Results

As of Thursday at 6 p.m., approximately 3.6 million ballots from California’s primary election remain to be counted according to the Secretary of State. These uncounted ballots, predominantly vote-by-mail, could alter outcomes in several closely contested races. To date, around 5.6 million ballots have been processed statewide.

In Los Angeles County, about 1.4 million ballots have been tallied, and approximately 700,000 are left to process, as per the Secretary of State. Vote-by-mail ballots stamped on or before election day and received by the county elections official within a week after the election will be counted. County election officials must update the Secretary of State with daily totals of unprocessed ballots starting two days after election day until the count finishes.

“We allow people lots of different avenues to vote, and as a result, it takes longer to count up all the votes,” said Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.

Republican Steve Hilton maintains a lead in the governor’s race with 27%, followed by Democrats Xavier Becerra at 26% and Tom Steyer at 20%. Los Angeles County, the state’s largest, released updated numbers on Thursday with an estimated 688,000 votes yet to count. The top two candidates will proceed to the November election. The race’s outcome remains fluid despite Hilton and Becerra’s leading positions, with the Associated Press yet to call the race.

In the Los Angeles mayoral race, incumbent Karen Bass advances to the November ballot. Spencer Pratt, second, and City Councilmember Nithya Raman, third, await results as votes are still being counted. Although Pratt declared victory, the Associated Press has not confirmed the race.

Orange County has emerged clearer in its electoral predictions for the fall with Wednesday revealing standings in three congressional districts – the 42nd, the 45th, and the 47th.

In Shasta County, a bitterly contested race for registrar of voters had Clint Curtis, an attorney with claims about rigged machines dating back to the early 2000s, squaring off against ex-deputy registrar Joanna Francescut.

In a historic move, residents of Monterey Park voted to outlaw data centers, becoming the first city in the nation to enact such a ban via public vote. As of Wednesday, 86% of votes supported Measure NDC, according to the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder.

In the state superintendent race, Sonja Shaw, a Trump-affiliated Republican known for culture-war causes, leads notably over Democrat Richard Barrera with vote counting still underway. Shaw holds a 24.9% share, whereas Barrera has 18.9%.

Regarding L.A. Council District 9, Jose Ugarte shows significant lead as an aide to outgoing Councilmember Curren Price. This election signifies a shift after over six decades of the district lacking a Latino councilmember.

For California’s attorney general race, Democrat Rob Bonta advances while focusing on combating lawsuits from the Trump administration and tackling affordability concerns. Bonta proceeds alongside Michael Gates in the November election.