California Looks to Speed Up Vote Counting While Preserving Ease of Voting

Reformer Kim Alexander offers steps to accelerate ballot tabulation and boost voter confidence in election results.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 10:00am

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California's prolonged vote counting process has become a source of frustration and fodder for unsubstantiated fraud claims, especially from Republicans. Kim Alexander, head of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, believes it's possible to preserve the state's accessible voting system while speeding up the tabulation of millions of ballots through measures like increased funding, voter education, and database management reforms.

Why it matters

The lag time between election day and final results has led to wild, unfounded claims of fraud, deeply diminishing faith in California's elections and democracy. Addressing this issue could help restore voter confidence while maintaining the state's commitment to easy and accessible voting.

The details

Alexander suggests several steps to accelerate California's vote counting process, including increasing funding for counties to expand equipment, staff and space; educating voters to return mail ballots earlier; implementing a 'sign, scan and go' system to shorten processing time; and better managing the statewide voter database from Sacramento. The problem, she says, is that interest in election mechanics is often episodic, making it difficult to sustain the political will for reform.

  • The 2024 California elections saw the GOP lose three House seats, prompting false claims of fraud from Republicans.
  • The last presidential election in California saw more than 16 million residents vote.

The players

Kim Alexander

Head of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, who has spent more than three decades working to make the state's elections more efficient, transparent and accountable.

Gavin Newsom

The Governor of California, who recently defended the state's 'safe and secure elections' against unwarranted attacks, and could potentially boost his 2028 presidential aspirations by addressing the issue of slow vote counting.

Mike Johnson

The Republican House Speaker, who falsely suggested that chicanery cost the GOP three House seats in California in 2024.

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What they’re saying

“We need to stop explaining why it's taking so long and start figuring out how to [produce election results] in a more satisfying way. There are a lot of things that we could do better and do differently. It just takes some creative thinking and some will.”

— Kim Alexander, Head of the California Voter Foundation

“They hold the elections open for weeks after election day. It looks on its face to be fraudulent.”

— Mike Johnson, House Speaker

What’s next

Governor Newsom could take steps to address the issue of slow vote counting in California, which could help boost his potential 2028 presidential aspirations.

The takeaway

Addressing California's prolonged vote counting process, while preserving the state's accessible voting system, could help restore voter confidence in elections and strengthen the integrity of the democratic process.