Polls close at 8 p.m. tonight in California’s general election, but don’t expect to know the outcome of every race right away: Although ballots can be processed as early as seven days before Election Day, they can’t actually be counted until polls close.
Meanwhile, mail-in ballots postmarked by today will be counted through Nov. 15. And more time is needed to process ballots cast by those who register to vote today.
- Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement: “By law, county election officials have 30 days to count every valid ballot and conduct a post-election audit. … We have a process that by law ensures both voting rights and the integrity of elections, so I would call on all Californians to be patient.”
- Weber added: “This process includes the verification of signatures on every vote-by-mail ballot envelope, the processing of same-day voter registrations, the processing of provisional ballots, and reaching out to voters to provide opportunities for voters to cure missing or mismatched signatures.”
But while California’s final election results won’t be certified until mid-December, the outcome of most races — apart from particularly close ones — should be clear tonight, Weber said.
- Political consultant Michael Trujillo told the Los Angeles Times: “If your race is within 10 points at the end of election night, it’s probably premature to call it a win. If you’re up 20 (points), you’re probably safe.”
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