President Donald Trump alleged Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating California’s delayed vote counting in the state’s primary elections for governor and Los Angeles mayor.
Trump made the claims while California continued tallying mail-in ballots from Tuesday’s elections. State officials have indicated the counting process could extend several weeks.
Trump’s Allegations
“There’s BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California. Votes are all tied up. May not be in for weeks. Under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles,” Trump posted on Truth Social Thursday. He alleged Democrats were attempting to steal both the gubernatorial and mayoral primary races from Republican candidates.
Trump called for passage of the Save America Act, which he said would require photo ID for all voters, proof of U.S. citizenship, restrictions on mail-in ballots, and other election-related provisions.
State Defense and Criticism
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office released a video defending the state’s vote-counting timeline as consistent with California law. The video, featuring CNN correspondent Elex Michaelson, characterized the slower pace as allowing voters more time to decide before voting.
The response drew criticism on social media, with commentators arguing California’s system creates opportunities for irregularities. “Americans should expect, at a minimum, to have elections that are free and fair, and results that are delivered promptly,” wrote Jarrett Stepman for The Daily Signal, noting the state’s changes to its election system in 2016 enabled mass mail-in ballots counted after election day.
Race Developments
In the Los Angeles mayoral race, incumbent Democrat Karen Bass and Republican Spencer Pratt appeared positioned for a runoff based on initial results. However, subsequent mail-in ballot counts have shifted standings, with leftist candidate Nithya Raman gaining ground after election night.
Electoral prediction markets also shifted significantly toward Raman following the primary, raising questions from observers about the delayed tabulation pattern.