DOJ Refutes Claim of Vote Count Error in Los Angeles Mayoral Race

A Los Angeles‑based Justice Department official, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, publicly rejected a social‑media claim that a vote‑count update on election night showed Republican mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt received zero new votes. Essayli said the Department reviewed official county records and found that each candidate received votes in every update, confirming the claim was false.

The rumor, amplified by right‑wing figures on X including Elon Musk, stemmed from an automated update lag. The Associated Press explained that votes for Pratt were posted a minute later than those for leading candidates, creating a temporary appearance of no new votes. The delayed update recorded 21,870 votes for Pratt, 12,850 for incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, and 9,521 for City Councilwoman Nithya Raman.

CNN has projected Bass will advance to the November general election. The Justice Department also sent an attorney to observe ballot processing in Los Angeles, and Essayli noted that investigations into alleged election fraud in California are underway. The episode reflects ongoing efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to promote false election‑fraud narratives.