LA County election officials are ramping up ballot processing ahead of the November general election as criticism grows over California’s slow vote counting. The move comes after the June primary, when key races including governor and Los Angeles mayor were not settled until more than a week after Election Day.
Dean Logan, the county’s registrar-recorder and county clerk, said the delay is driven not just by tallying ballots but by security checks, including verifying voter eligibility, matching signatures and preventing duplicate voting. He also said the rise of mail voting means a large number of ballots arrive close to Election Day through drop boxes, vote centers and the post office.
With higher turnout expected in November, county election officials plan to greatly expand staffing at the ballot processing center in the City of Industry and run it 24 hours a day for 72 to 96 hours after the election. Officials also plan to speed up ballot pickup from drop boxes and vote centers, and increase how often results are updated after Election Day.
Logan urged voters who cast mail ballots near Election Day to use the county’s official drop boxes instead of the mail to avoid possible postal delays. County officials say the changes are intended to deliver election results faster while maintaining the checks built into California’s voting process.
