A Flood of Ballots': California Elections Turned Upside Down After Disturbing Video Leaks
Republicans have surged in the race for California governor and the Los Angeles mayoral contest while overperforming across much of the state. However, the final results remain uncertain as election officials continue processing a large volume of mail ballots that are expected to arrive over the coming days and weeks.
NBC News chief data analyst Steve Kornacki warned viewers that the late-arriving mail ballots, which often lean heavily Democratic, could significantly alter current leads.
“Remember, the final piece of the puzzle that we won’t know tonight, right, is the late arriving vote by mail,” Kornacki said. “And we’re talking about probably like a third of the vote in Los Angeles. We’re probably not going to be getting until tomorrow and maybe days to come after tomorrow.”
Kornacki noted that this late mail vote is “going to be significantly more Democratic friendly than all of the other vote, meaning that would be good news for Bass” in the Los Angeles mayoral race and for other Democratic candidates trailing on Election Night.
New Lawsuit Targets California’s Voter Roll Maintenance
Separately, a lawsuit filed against California Secretary of State Shirley Weber alleges that the state has failed to remove hundreds of thousands of inactive voter registrations from its rolls in violation of federal law. Plaintiffs claim that approximately 873,092 inactive registrations remain on the books despite requirements under the National Voter Registration Act.
The complaint further alleges that more than 151,000 registrations stayed active even after voters failed to participate in four consecutive federal election cycles and did not respond to address verification notices. California currently maintains over 23 million registered voters, the largest system in the nation.
Federal law requires states to clean voter rolls by removing registrations that have been inactive through multiple election cycles. The lawsuit argues that California has not properly enforced these standards, creating opportunities for error, duplication, and potential fraud.
In 2019, Judicial Watch reached a settlement with California and Los Angeles County that resulted in the removal of more than 1.2 million inactive names. Plaintiffs contend that problems have persisted since then. Court filings note that 20 California counties removed 50 or fewer inactive registrations in a recent period, even as census data showed substantial out-migration from the state.
Republican Momentum Meets Structural Challenges
The combination of extended ballot counting and questions over voter roll accuracy has added tension to an election season already marked by Republican gains in traditionally Democratic strongholds. California officials maintain that multiple safeguards protect the integrity of the voting process.
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Supporters of the lawsuit argue that accurate voter rolls are fundamental to public confidence in elections. The case comes as Republicans celebrate stronger-than-expected showings but face the reality that a large share of remaining ballots historically favors Democratic candidates.
The outcome of both the statewide and Los Angeles races may not be known for days or weeks as officials continue processing late mail ballots under intense scrutiny.
