California primary rejects nearly 150,000 mail ballots

Nearly 150,000 mail-in ballots were rejected in California's June primary election, marking a significant increase from recent cycles and highlighting challenges within the state's vote-by-mail system despite efforts to expand access. The rejected ballots represent 1.73% of all mail ballots cast, up from 108,982 in the 2024 primary and 105,818 in 2022.

According to data from the California secretary of state's office, the primary reason for disqualification was lateness. More than 93,000 ballots were rejected because they arrived after the legal deadline, a substantial increase from roughly 70,000 in 2022 and about 76,000 in 2024. This occurred even though state law allows ballots to be counted if they arrive at election offices up to seven days after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before that day.

Voting experts point to changes in U.S. Postal Service operations as a likely factor. They suggest the issue is not necessarily when ballots arrive at election offices, but when they receive a postmark. Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, explained that ballots are rejected due to lateness primarily because they are postmarked too...