California Elections Remain Secure, Despite Baseless Claims

House Speaker Mike Johnson perpetuates false narratives about voting in the state, ignoring the facts.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The article refutes claims made by House Speaker Mike Johnson about alleged voter fraud and irregularities in California's elections, highlighting that the state's voting processes are secure and transparent, despite Johnson's efforts to sow doubt for political gain.

Why it matters

Undermining public confidence in election integrity, as Johnson is doing, can have serious consequences for democracy. The article emphasizes the importance of relying on facts and evidence rather than perpetuating false narratives for political purposes.

The details

The article explains that California's elections are well-run, with a focus on maximizing voter participation through measures like mail-in voting. The state's careful ballot-counting process, which can take time, is not indicative of any fraud or manipulation, as Johnson has suggested. The article also notes that shifts in vote tallies in close congressional races are often due to the differing voting preferences of Republican and Democratic voters, not any nefarious activity.

  • California allows mail-in ballots to be counted up to 7 days after election day, as long as they are postmarked by election day.
  • County election officials have 30 days to tally all valid ballots and conduct a required post-election audit.

The players

Mike Johnson

A five-term Louisiana congressman who currently serves as the Speaker of the House. He has repeatedly made false claims about voter fraud and irregularities in California's elections.

Kim Alexander

The president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, who explains the legitimate reasons behind the state's extended vote-counting process.

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What they’re saying

“In some of the states, like in California, for example. I mean, they hold the elections open for weeks after election day. We had three House Republican candidates who were ahead on election day in the last election cycle, and every time a new tranche of ballots came in, they just magically whittled away until their leads were lost. ... It looks on its face to be fraudulent.”

— Mike Johnson, House Speaker (latimes.com)

“For that reason, we get an outsized amount of criticism for our long vote count, because everyone's impatient.”

— Kim Alexander, President, California Voter Foundation (latimes.com)

What’s next

The article does not mention any specific next steps, as the focus is on debunking the false claims made by House Speaker Mike Johnson about California's elections.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of relying on facts and evidence when it comes to the integrity of elections, rather than perpetuating unfounded conspiracy theories for political gain. California's voting processes are secure and transparent, despite efforts by some to sow doubt and undermine public confidence in the system.