California's vote‑by‑mail system draws criticism over delays and fraud risks

Legal researcher Hans Von Spakovsky said California’s election system is “the worst of any state,” citing the lack of voter ID, reliance on universal mail‑in ballots, and lax witness‑signature verification that could allow fraudulent voting. He noted that counties can accept ballots up to seven days after Election Day and have a 22‑day “care” period for resolving issues, with no uniform standards for signature matching.

Weeks after the primary, vote counts were still incomplete, prompting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli to launch a fraud investigation in coordination with the Los Angeles FBI office. The probe focuses on the structural vulnerabilities of the mail‑in system, which critics argue undermine public confidence. Comparisons were made to other democracies—such as Japan and the United Kingdom—where results are typically known within hours, highlighting California’s unusually long tallying process and its economic cost of uncertainty.