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NewsCalMattersNovember 2, 2026Los Angeles County

Cuidado con el “espejismo rojo” si los republicanos de California obtienen ventaja la noche de las elecciones

Photo: CalMatters

This article discusses the phenomenon of the “red mirage” in California elections, where early election night results often favor Republicans before shifting to Democrats as mail-in and late ballots are counted over subsequent weeks. Experts explain that this delay stems from California's voting methods, mail-in ballot processing rules, a seven-day grace period for postmarked ballots, and extended deadlines for ballot curing, rather than electoral fraud.

ElectionsVotingGovernmentPublic Administration
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Why It Matters

Delays in California's vote counting process and the resulting early shifts can foster voter mistrust, misinformation, and attacks on election integrity, while state legislators have allocated 29 million dollars to help counties upgrade equipment and staffing.

Key Facts

  • California has 23 million registered voters, which is more than the total population of the 16 least populated states combined.
  • Los Angeles County contains nearly 6 million registered voters and recorded the highest absolute number of Trump voters in the 2020 election.
  • California provides a seven-day grace period for ballots postmarked by election day to arrive and be counted.
  • Voters have until the day before Thanksgiving to cure errors on their ballots, such as mismatched signatures.
  • State law only requires counties to count ballots for at least six hours a day, without mandatory weekend or holiday counting.
  • Lawmakers allocated 29 million dollars to counties for purchasing more vote-counting machines or hiring additional staff.
  • Counties have up to 30 days to officially certify election results.

Who's Mentioned

PersonDonald Trump“Former U.S. president who made claims regarding election results.”PersonBen Gips“Representative from Protect Democracy.”OrganizationU.S. House of Representatives“Legislative body referenced in the context of congressional races.”PersonJoe Biden“U.S. president who won key states during the 2020 election.”OrganizationColegio Electoral“Body that determines U.S. presidential election winners.”PersonKaren Bass“Mayor in office during the Los Angeles mayoral race.”PersonSpencer Pratt“Republican candidate in the Los Angeles mayoral primary.”OrganizationCalifornia Voter Foundation“Foundation providing commentary on election administration.”PersonNithya Raman“Progressive Los Angeles city councilmember.”PersonKim Alexander“President of the California Voter Foundation.”PersonRyan Sabalow“Digital Democracy reporter for CalMatters.”locationCalifornia“The state where elections and vote counting are discussed.”OrganizationProtect Democracy“A nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to combating authoritarianism.”