California voters could see faster election results under new state law

[RandySF]

California’s famously slow vote-counting process could see slight improvements next year after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill that gives counties an earlier deadline to tally voters’ ballots.

The law, Assembly Bill 5, requires county election offices to count ballots no later than 13 days after election day, but does not change the 30-day deadline for local officials to certify results. Counties unable to meet the new deadline must give a reason for an extension to the secretary of state’s office.

“California has one of the most accessible and secure voting systems in the country,” said the bill’s author, Assemblymember Marc Berman, a Menlo Park Democrat, in a statement. “One opportunity for improvement was to speed up how quickly we count ballots and create a system that gave greater certainty to the public for when results would be available.”

Voter fraud is rare, typically occurs in isolated instances and is generally detected. However, local election officials have received greater scrutiny across the country after President Donald Trump and his allies disputed false claims of election fraud after the 2020 election.



https://calmatters.org/politics/2025/10/california-election-results-counting/

[LogDog75]

1. How does the bill speed up the process

I was a poll inspector for 10 years in my California city. Once the polls close at 8 pm, we began tearing down and packing up the polling station, taking the casted ballots out of the ballot box and counting how many ballots were used, packing and sealing the ballots in a box, doing the end-of-day paperwork, and delivering the ballots and supplies to the central pickup point by around 9 pm.

Once all the polling stations for a given location have been picked up, everything is taken to the Registrar of Voters office for tabulation. The in-person ballots are run through the voting tabulation machines and the Mailed-in ballots and the Mail-in ballots dropped off at the polling sites are processed by a machine that scans the envelope and signature comparing it to the voter's signature stored in a computer. It the ballot passed it's sent to be opened, tallied, and filed with the other voted ballots.

Much of the work sounds like it's automated but a lot of it is still done by hand and that takes time. Unless the bill provides funding to County Registrar of Voters to hire more people to work, I don't see how they'll count them all in 13 days. I hope they can do it but right now, I'm skeptical.

[Elise Noa]

2. new state law

This is definitely a welcome move toward improving California’s election system. The state has long been known for its slow vote-counting process, often leaving people waiting days or even weeks for final results. By giving counties an earlier deadline to tally ballots, the new law aims to streamline operations and provide voters with quicker, more transparent outcomes. It also holds election offices accountable by requiring explanations if deadlines can’t be met, which strengthens public confidence in the process.

It’s reassuring to know that while speed is being prioritized, the integrity and security of the voting system remain intact. As Assemblymember Marc Berman mentioned, California already has one of the most accessible and secure voting systems in the country. This reform shows a thoughtful effort to make the process not only fair but also efficient. In a time when misinformation around elections is widespread, steps like these can help rebuild trust and reinforce the importance of accurate, transparent vote counting.