California Voter Foundation Offers Ways to Speed Up Election Results

California elections can take days or even weeks to finalize as counties count millions of mail-in ballots following Election Day.

The California Voter Foundation is proposing several changes it says could help speed up the process and reduce delays in determining election results.

Foundation founder and president Kim Alexander said voters can help by returning their mail ballots before Election Day or voting in person.

The organization recommends that voters develop a habit of returning ballots by the Saturday before Election Day, preferably delivering them in person.

Mail ballots that arrive on or after Election Day can take longer to process and count, contributing to delays in final results.

The foundation is also supporting two bills currently being considered by California lawmakers. One proposal would allow voters to bring a mail ballot to a polling location on Election Day and have it tabulated immediately.

Another measure would create an online system to make it easier for election officials to verify signatures when a ballot is challenged because the signature on the envelope does not sufficiently match the voter’s records.

Alexander said lengthy periods between Election Day and the announcement of winners can also create an opportunity for false claims about election fraud to spread.

The foundation is recommending that California shorten the amount of time voters have to correct, or “cure,” challenged ballots from 22 days to 14 days.

The proposals are aimed at making California’s election-counting process more efficient while maintaining existing procedures for verifying ballots and ensuring election results are accurately reported.

Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.