Why does Lake County CA take forever to count its votes?

[E-Dawg]

Wait till you hear about Lake County, where they consistently count 10k ballots on election night, then go completely radio silent for over a month, then dump the remaining 20k ballots just minutes before the certification deadline deep into December.

I don't know how long this county has been doing this crap, but they appear to be doing the same thing this year, since only 32% of ballots are in right now. This could very well be a Biden-Trump county since Biden only won it by 6 points in 2020 and Newson lost it in 2022, but we have literally no idea at this point how it voted with so few ballots in. Why is this county's ballot counting timeline so bizarre, and how has this obviously unacceptable system not been fixed?

[Roll Roons]

It’s a complete joke of a state.

[E-Dawg]

It’s a complete joke of a state.

The entire election system in California (as well as several other Western states) needs to be completely reformed so that we can get at least 95% of the votes counted on election night. However, at least statewide California has about 96% of the vote in now, the situation in Lake County is uniquely awful and baffling. It doesn't even get gradually counted, unless they do it differently this year they are just gonna dump the remaining 68% right before the deadline a month after the election!

[Aurelius2]

I've thought about this a bit and this is my tentative conclusion. California's extremely long period in which late mail ballots may arrive and malformed mail ballots may be cured unintentionally incentivizes counties to count all ballots, even those which don't fit into those categories, as slowly as they can do so while still meeting the eventual deadline. Why make people work long hours counting, and hire a bunch of temporary staff and/or round up a bunch of volunteers, when you can just have one or two of your underlings spend a few hours a day counting votes every day for a month? Lake County simply takes this logic to a further extreme than most CA counties.

The simplest fix is to require counties to process ballots that AREN'T late or malformed by a much quicker deadline.

[E-Dawg]

I've thought about this a bit and this is my tentative conclusion. California's extremely long period in which late mail ballots may arrive and malformed mail ballots may be cured unintentionally incentivizes counties to count all ballots, even those which don't fit into those categories, as slowly as they can do so while still meeting the eventual deadline. Why make people work long hours counting, and hire a bunch of temporary staff and/or round up a bunch of volunteers, when you can just have one or two of your underlings spend a few hours a day counting votes every day for a month? Lake County simply takes this logic to a further extreme than most CA counties.

The simplest fix is to require counties to process ballots that AREN'T late or malformed by a much quicker deadline.

I can see why this would cause the counting to take so long, but why wouldn't they still update the vote totals as they are gradually counted throughout the month, rather than hold it all the way till right before the deadline?

[kwabbit]

It’s a complete joke of a state.

The entire election system in California (as well as several other Western states) needs to be completely reformed so that we can get at least 95% of the votes counted on election night. However, at least statewide California has about 96% of the vote in now, the situation in Lake County is uniquely awful and baffling. It doesn't even get gradually counted, unless they do it differently this year they are just gonna dump the remaining 68% right before the deadline a month after the election!

They have to update once a week now. We'll get another 5% this Thursday.

[Aurelius2]

I've thought about this a bit and this is my tentative conclusion. California's extremely long period in which late mail ballots may arrive and malformed mail ballots may be cured unintentionally incentivizes counties to count all ballots, even those which don't fit into those categories, as slowly as they can do so while still meeting the eventual deadline. Why make people work long hours counting, and hire a bunch of temporary staff and/or round up a bunch of volunteers, when you can just have one or two of your underlings spend a few hours a day counting votes every day for a month? Lake County simply takes this logic to a further extreme than most CA counties.

The simplest fix is to require counties to process ballots that AREN'T late or malformed by a much quicker deadline.

I can see why this would cause the counting to take so long, but why wouldn't they still update the vote totals as they are gradually counted throughout the month, rather than hold it all the way till right before the deadline?

At the time I posted my original comment, I didn't realize the state SOS now requires counties to update at least once a week. I believe this was new beginning in the 2024 primary.

[Aurelius2]

It’s a complete joke of a state.

Nope.

Never Newsom either. Say No to Californians

California is the fulcrum around which the world turns. We snap our fingers and the most powerful people on the planet stop, listen, and make themselves of service. It is the culmination of all for which two centuries of pioneers and frontiersmen fought and died. As Boston was to the first 250 years of American history, San Francisco shall be to the next evolution of America as world-historical Empire, when we finally embrace our natural borders and make matter itself our servant. The Golden Gate beckons, and the world rushes in. Such is the inexorable pattern of history, which no amount of protestation from Humidity-Americans can undo. The state's present sorry state is no rebuttal to this, merely a blip in the passage of time.

The problem is merely with this one particular Californian.

[Aurelius2]

IDK if this is directly relevant, but it's also worth mentioning that Lake County is probably the most dysfunctional place in non-urban CA, and the "non-urban" qualifier is mostly only because of Skid Row. I've been all over California, to 57 of the state's 58 counties (all except Trinity)... Lake is a whole new level. Only certain parts of Humboldt even come close.

[Mr. Smith]

It’s a complete joke of a county.

Ftfu.

[jaichind]

How much of this is about policy?  Perhaps they do not want to report results until all mail-in ballots are cured and counted.  It is still a joke that they cannot do this 16 days after the election but I suspect they have counted more than 30% of the vote.

[iceman]

The 5th largest economy in the world, yet cannot afford to revamp it’s electoral process. Shame on the people who is running the state goverment in California

[caf_elections]

The 5th largest economy in the world, yet cannot afford to revamp it’s electoral process. Shame on the people who is running the state government in California

Dims can't govern. Many such cases.

[Aurelius2]

The 5th largest economy in the world, yet cannot afford to revamp it’s electoral process. Shame on the people who is running the state goverment in California

This isn't about "can't afford". It's a deliberate policy choice.

[iceman]

The 5th largest economy in the world, yet cannot afford to revamp it’s electoral process. Shame on the people who is running the state goverment in California

This isn't about "can't afford". It's a deliberate policy choice.

If it’s “deliberate policy choice” then something is really wrong with their system.

[Aurelius2]

The 5th largest economy in the world, yet cannot afford to revamp it’s electoral process. Shame on the people who is running the state goverment in California

This isn't about "can't afford". It's a deliberate policy choice.

If it’s “deliberate policy choice” then something is really wrong with their system.

Correct.

[E-Dawg]

Lake County is now up to 60% in! Harris is ahead 51.0% to 46.5%.

[Mr. Smith]

Lake County is now up to 60% in! Harris is ahead 51.0% to 46.5%.

This is actually kinda surprising. I expected a Trump flip...could still happen.

[E-Dawg]

Harris is ahead by 12 votes with 93% in lmao, looks like this is the Inyo County 2020 of this year (Biden won Inyo by 14 votes)

[Steve from Lambeth]

KakinyoMemeHouse

[Mr. Smith]

Harris is ahead by 12 votes with 93% in lmao, looks like this is the Inyo County 2020 of this year (Biden won Inyo by 14 votes)

Depending on where the remaining vote is, either Harris barely retains or Trump flips it, most likely the latter since Schiff lost it.

[Lykaon]

Imperial County is still at 88% after like 2 weeks. It’s another one that could flip blue to red since it’s only a 1.7% Harris lead right now

[Rhode Islander First, American Second]

Harris is ahead by 12 votes with 93% in lmao, looks like this is the Inyo County 2020 of this year (Biden won Inyo by 14 votes)

So after weeks of counting the Republicans are just “finding” enough votes to win? Seems like they always benefit from these late counts. Suspicious…

[E-Dawg]

Harris is ahead by 12 votes with 93% in lmao, looks like this is the Inyo County 2020 of this year (Biden won Inyo by 14 votes)

So after weeks of counting the Republicans are just “finding” enough votes to win? Seems like they always benefit from these late counts. Suspicious…

Maybe California should just have a competent election system so that we don't have to wait weeks to find out who won congressional races/counties?

[Roll Roons]

Harris is ahead by 12 votes with 93% in lmao, looks like this is the Inyo County 2020 of this year (Biden won Inyo by 14 votes)

So after weeks of counting the Republicans are just “finding” enough votes to win? Seems like they always benefit from these late counts. Suspicious…

Maybe California should just have a competent election system so that we don't have to wait weeks to find out who won congressional races/counties?

Yeah, regardless of which side the later counted votes may favor, it is ridiculous and unnecessary. There is no other place in the world that counts like this.