Election officials in California continue slowly counting ballots from Tuesday amid criticism of their glacier-speed processing. As the state’s ballot count progresses at a deliberate pace, the U.S. Department of Justice announced multiple investigations into potential election fraud.
Acting U.S. Attorney for Central California Bill Essayli declared Friday that his office, alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation, had launched “multiple election fraud investigations.” In a social media post, Essayli emphasized: “We will investigate and prosecute. Every legal vote deserves to be counted. Every illegal vote cancels one out.”
Essayli stated the state’s election system possesses “serious structural vulnerabilities,” particularly noting that universal vote-by-mail with no voter ID requirements creates conditions for undetected fraud. “California’s election system has serious structural vulnerabilities,” he added, asserting the state has “stonewalled every effort to verify that only eligible U.S. citizens are registered.” He also confirmed ongoing efforts to audit voter rolls and noted the case is now before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.
The delay leaves candidates in California’s primary races without definitive results. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton and mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt appear poised for general election matchups, though third-place Democratic contenders could narrow their gaps as additional ballot tranches are counted. The state’s top two vote-getters in each race will advance to the general election.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a brief statement: “My office has a presence on the ground right now, is monitoring the situation closely, and stands ready to protect voters and ensure California’s election laws are followed.”
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli reiterated his commitment: “We will not look the other way. We will investigate and prosecute. Every legal vote deserves to be counted. Every illegal vote cancels one out.”
