California’s Election System Is a Disgrace

California’s uniquely dysfunctional vote-counting system is back in the news. The latest results from the ongoing slow count for the Los Angeles mayoral race show that Republican Spencer Pratt is likely to fall behind Democratic Socialist Nithya Raman early this week. If that happens, Raman will advance to the runoff against incumbent Karen Bass.

Apologists for California’s system say that progressive candidates frequently enjoy late returns because their supporters tend to mail their ballots in late. Bass didn’t take the lead until a full week after Election Day 2024. But that shows only that the system is broken. Growing public concern over election integrity is a big factor behind the rise of a statewide initiative to finally require voter ID for both in-person and mail-in voting, a proposed measure that has qualified for November’s ballot.

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John Fund

John Fund is National Review’s national-affairs reporter.

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California’s uniquely dysfunctional vote-counting system is back in the news. The latest results from the ongoing slow count for the Los Angeles mayoral race show that Republican Spencer Pratt is likely to fall behind Democratic Socialist Nithya Raman early this week. If that happens, Raman will advance to the runoff against incumbent Karen Bass.

Apologists for California’s system say that progressive candidates frequently enjoy late returns because their supporters tend to mail their ballots in late. Bass didn’t take the lead until a full week after Election Day 2024. But that shows only that the system is broken. Growing public concern over election integrity is a big factor behind the rise of a statewide initiative to finally require voter ID for both in-person and mail-in voting, a proposed measure that has qualified for November’s ballot.