California's primary elections are concluding with a protracted ballot counting process, a result of numerous changes enacted over the years to enhance voter accessibility. Data and election experts suggest these reforms have not significantly improved voter participation, while the extended tabulation period has drawn criticism and fueled unfounded election conspiracy theories.
Preliminary figures from the secretary of state's office show turnout at 40.8% for the June primary. While this represents an increase over the previous two primary elections, it falls below participation levels seen in several earlier primaries dating back to 2000 and significantly lags behind the turnout rates of the 1970s, when primary participation sometimes exceeded 70%.
Disparities in turnout persist, particularly among younger voters and voters of color, according to the Center for Inclusive Democracy. The group's research indicates that the state's most consistent voters tend to be older, white, and more affluent homeowners.
Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, stated that California has seen only incremental progress from its voting changes over the past decade. "We haven’t seen significant jumps in turnout," Romero said. "We still have very significant disparity in turnout with race and ethnicity. The numbers don’t lie."
Over the years, California has implemented a series of changes aimed at increasing voter participation, including making mail-in voting more convenient and allowing same-day registration. However, these measures have contributed to longer vote-counting timelines.
Currently, every voter receives a mail-in ballot that can be counted if it arrives at an election office up to seven days after Election Day, provided it is postmarked by Election Day. Voters can also register and vote on Election Day if they missed earlier deadlines, with these ballots being counted after their registration is verified. The process of verifying signatures on mail ballots and offering voters a chance to resolve signature mismatches further delays the final count.
A report by the California Voter Foundation found that the percentage of California's ballots counted within two days of Election Day has declined, from 81% in 2004 to 66% in 2024. This trend generally coincides with the expansion of mail voting, with nearly 90% of voters using mail ballots in a recent statewide election.
While other large states like Florida and Texas complete their vote counts rapidly, California's extended tabulation period, sometimes taking weeks, has become a point of contention. Following the June primary, former President Donald Trump criticized California's slow counting process, and the Justice Department launched an investigation into Los Angeles County's elections.
Even Governor Gavin Newsom's office has acknowledged the slow pace. The state's recent budget includes $29 million to expedite the vote-counting process. "We wish the votes were counted faster, too," Newsom's press office stated on X.
One significant reform was the 2016 Voter’s Choice Act, designed to boost turnout, especially among younger voters of color, by promoting vote-by-mail and establishing community voting centers and ballot drop boxes. However, studies suggest the act has not achieved its intended impact.
Data shows turnout for the 2024 presidential election in California was 71%, a 5 percentage point decrease from the 2004 presidential election. Turnout for the 2022 midterms was 51%, the same rate as 20 years prior.
A 2025 study by the Public Policy Institute of California concluded that the Voter's Choice Act "did not consistently improve or worsen turnout for any racial or ethnic group" and "generally fallen short of the reform’s original goal of a larger and more representative electorate."
Research from the same institute in 2025 highlighted demographic disparities among likely voters: whites, representing 36% of California's adult population, constitute 50% of likely voters, while Latinos (38% of adults) make up 29% of likely voters, and Black residents (5% of adults) comprise 4% of likely voters.
"The effects of the (act) have generally fallen short of the reform’s original goal of a larger and more representative electorate," the study noted.
There is a growing consensus that more effort is needed to engage and motivate infrequent voters, many of whom are people of color. U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, who was California's chief elections officer when the Voter’s Choice Act was signed, stated that while the state leads in voting access, "candidates and political parties must do more to motivate voters to get out and vote."
Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, pointed to the sheer scale of voting in California, with over 23 million registered voters, as a challenge. Despite an increase in registered voters, turnout has not kept pace.
California has made progress in voter registration, with nearly 85% of eligible voters registered, compared to 70% two decades ago. This increase in registered voters also contributes to the longer counting times.
Alexander suggested that factors such as the perceived importance of primary elections, the complexity of ballots with numerous races and initiatives, and broader issues of public trust in government and the effectiveness of get-out-the-vote campaigns have a greater impact on participation than the election model itself, according to Bob Page, Orange County's registrar of voters.