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By Open Chronicle with agencies
President Donald Trump has accused California Democrats of attempting to “steal” ongoing primary elections in the state, alleging widespread irregularities in vote counting without providing evidence to support the claims.
In a series of social media posts late Wednesday, Trump criticized California’s election process, focusing on the use of mail-in ballots and the pace of vote counting in several closely contested races, including the California governor’s race and the Los Angeles mayoral primary.
The president claimed that Democratic officials were intentionally delaying the counting process and suggested that election results were being manipulated. He also asserted that the vote count was under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.
However, the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on Trump’s statement when approached by media outlets, and no public evidence has emerged indicating any wrongdoing in the counting process.
President Trump just said California Democrats are stealing the vote. He's demanding that Senate Republicans finally pass the SAVE America Act. pic.twitter.com/D7UbSgOi3S
— Revival Nation News (@EncounterNewsX) June 4, 2026
California officials reject allegations
California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks dismissed the president’s accusations, describing them as unfounded.
“Everyone knows California will complete a fair and accurate count. End of story,” Hicks said.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office also rejected Trump’s remarks, posting on social media that the president was once again making false claims about California’s elections.
Election officials have repeatedly emphasized that the extended counting process is routine in California, the nation’s most populous state, where millions of ballots are cast through a combination of early voting, election-day voting, and mail-in voting.
Why do California vote counts take time
California election law allows vote-by-mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted if they arrive within seven days after the election. In addition, provisional ballots and ballots requiring signature verification must undergo review before being included in official results.
With approximately 23 million registered voters, election officials have noted that complete and certified results typically take several weeks.
County election offices are legally permitted up to 30 days after Election Day to finalize their counts. Official statewide certification of the June primary results is scheduled for early July.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber reminded voters that extended counting periods are normal and are designed to ensure accuracy rather than speed.
“On Election Night, we will have a good picture of the outcome of most contests, but it will take weeks to know the final results. This is normal,” Weber said following the close of polls.
Ongoing debate over mail-in voting
Trump has long criticized widespread mail-in voting, arguing that it is vulnerable to fraud, despite studies and investigations repeatedly finding very few cases of documented voter fraud.
The president’s latest comments highlight a recurring theme that has shaped much of his political messaging in recent years.
At the same time, Trump himself has used mail-in voting. Earlier this year, he cast a mail ballot in a Florida special election while residing primarily at the White House in Washington.
The White House previously defended that vote as a “commonsense exception” due to travel obligations, while maintaining opposition to universal mail-in voting.
Research published by the Brookings Institution in late 2025 concluded that voter fraud associated with mail-in ballots remains rare and that election safeguards, including signature verification and ballot tracking systems, provide substantial protections against abuse.
Closely watched races remain undecided
Trump’s remarks come as several high-profile California contests remain too close to call.
The race to determine the two candidates who will advance to the November gubernatorial election remains unresolved, while several congressional races and the contest for Los Angeles mayor continue to be decided as additional ballots are processed.
Election officials across the state have urged patience, stressing that every legally cast ballot must be counted before final results can be certified.