LA County continues counting more than 700,000 outstanding ballots as Trump slams election process
About 713,000 ballots left to count in City of Industry
The county's centralized Ballot Processing Center in the City of Industry has been operating around the clock as workers verify signatures, process vote-by-mail ballots and tabulate results. The ongoing count has also sparked a political battle between President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom's office over the pace of vote counting.
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County election officials continue processing hundreds of thousands of ballots following Tuesday's primary election, with an estimated 713,180 ballots still outstanding as of Thursday morning.
The county's centralized Ballot Processing Center in the City of Industry has been operating around the clock as workers verify signatures, process vote-by-mail ballots and tabulate results.
The ongoing count has also sparked a political battle between President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom's office over the pace of vote counting.
What we know:
Los Angeles County has more than 5.8 million registered voters, making it larger than the voting populations of most states.
Following the close of polls at 8 p.m. Tuesday, ballots from more than 600 vote centers across the county were transported to the county's Ballot Processing Center in the City of Industry.
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The 144,000-square-foot facility serves as the central hub for receiving, verifying and counting ballots from across Los Angeles County.
According to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, 1,395,987 ballots had been processed as of the latest update Wednesday night. Officials estimate 713,180 ballots remain outstanding, including approximately 700,000 vote-by-mail ballots, 11,340 conditional voter registration ballots and 1,840 provisional ballots.
The outstanding ballots represent roughly a third of the ballots received or expected so far.
County officials estimate voter turnout for the June primary election will be around 34 percent.
Election workers continue processing ballots through a multi-step verification process.
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Every mail ballot undergoes signature verification before being sent to the tally room, where ballots are scanned and counted. Once counted, ballots are stored in sealed containers.
Officials say the count includes vote-by-mail ballots received and processed before Election Day, as well as ballots received on Election Day, provisional ballots, write-in ballots and damaged ballots.
California law gives counties up to 30 days to certify election results.
What they're saying:
The ongoing ballot count has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump, who questioned the pace of vote counting in California and alleged wrongdoing without providing evidence.
On Truth Social, Trump wrote, "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. Why the vote counting DELAY??? President DJT"
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In a separate post, Trump wrote, "They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS."
The governor's press office responded on X, posting, "Trump is lying about California again — time to take the phone away from grandpa and put him to sleep."
What we don't know:
It remains unclear whether any investigation referenced by Trump has been formally opened by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.
It is also unknown how the remaining ballots will affect several closely watched races across California and Los Angeles.
As ballots continue to be processed Thursday, a Republican candidate currently holds the lead in the race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom, while competition for the second qualifying spot remains close.
Additional outstanding ballots could still alter the final standings in that contest and other races across the state.
Election officials say the final outcomes of some races may not be known for days, and potentially weeks, as every remaining ballot is reviewed and counted.
The Source: This report is based on official election data and processing updates released by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office, which oversees the regional tabulation process. The political responses and quotes detailed in this article were documented directly from verified public statements published on Truth Social and X by President Donald Trump and Governor Gavin Newsom's press office.