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California 2026 governor race: mail ballot rejections

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-07-28 09:01 UTC → 2026-08-01 22:33 UTC · added ~~removed~~

California’s June 2, 2026 primary saw slow mail‑ballot processing, modest turnout (40.8%) and legal disputes over ballot‑harvesting. A U.S. Attorney’s probe led to a temporary seizure of more than 650,000 Riverside County ballots, later blocked; Attorney General Rob Bonta dismissed fraud allegations after recounts showed no widespread irregularities. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation limiting law‑enforcement seizure of ballots without judicial approval. By June 26 counties had certified over 2.2 million ballots in Los Angeles and 550,000 in Riverside. The gubernatorial contest pits Republican Steve Hilton against Democrat Xavier Becerra. A mid‑July poll gave Becerra a 61%–36% lead. New state data released July 23 show a record 148,241 mail‑in ballots rejected – 1.73% of all mail ballots, up from 108,982 in 2024 – with late‑postmarked ballots accounting for most rejections. Officials link the surge to recent USPS processing changes, raising concerns about mail‑in voting reliability and potential voter suppression in close races. ~~In response, the~~ The California Voter Foundation issued ~~ten recommendations to accelerate~~ a ten‑point report on speeding ballot ~~processing, including~~ processing. Recommendations include shortening the signature‑curing ~~window,~~ window from 22 to 14 days, expanding electronic curing, publishing curing data, ~~prioritizing~~ allowing most close races to be called by the Friday after Election Day, prioritizing counting in tight contests, ~~and increasing~~ providing extra funding ~~for~~ to local election ~~offices. Two measures – additional~~ offices, improving public reporting of unofficial results, and encouraging early return or in‑person voting. Additional funding and promotion of early ~~or in‑person~~ voting – are ~~underway; other reforms may~~ already under way; electronic curing awareness, data publication, prioritizing close races and enhanced reporting could be adopted before November, while the ~~November election.~~ shortened curing window is unlikely to be enacted in time. An UC Irvine poll of June 9‑12 shows Hilton ahead of Becerra in Orange County, 47% to 44%, reflecting the county’s competitive independent electorate despite its recent Democratic registration trend.

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