Election Day for Proposition 50 in Los Angeles County is set for November 4, 2023, marking a significant moment as voters finalize their decisions on new congressional maps. Residents have actively participated in the special election, with the ballot counting phase commencing once polls close on Tuesday evening.
As the voting process concludes, the focus will shift to counting the ballots, a task that could take days or even weeks to complete in California, a state known for its lengthy election result certification process. According to Mike Sanchez, a spokesperson for the L.A. County registrar’s office, the actual counting of ballots proceeds efficiently. However, state laws allow time for voters to address any issues with their ballots, a process known as “curing.”
Ballot Counting Process and Timelines
Voters may need to correct their ballots if, for example, they fail to sign their vote-by-mail envelopes or if their signatures do not match those on file. Sanchez emphasized the importance of this process, stating, “Contrary to popular belief, we do count ballots very fast. But state law allows voters to cure ballots. We do conduct outreach to those voters, and legally, the voters have until we certify the election results to return those corrected ballots.”
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day but can arrive at local election offices up to seven days after the election to be counted. This stipulation contributes to the extended timeline for processing and counting ballots.
During the 2024 general election, approximately 97% of ballots in L.A. County were counted within a week of the election, according to Sanchez. After the counting concludes, election results will still require certification, with local registrars having 30 days to certify their county results. The California Secretary of State has until December 12 to finalize statewide results.
The L.A. County registrar’s office plans to release several updates throughout Election Night. Polls will close at 20:00, with the first set of results expected around 20:30. This initial batch will reflect vote-by-mail ballots received before Election Day. A second update, anticipated around 20:45 or 21:00, will incorporate votes cast at vote centers prior to Tuesday.
Voter Registration and Proposition 50 Overview
As of October 30, L.A. County had approximately 5.9 million registered voters, the highest of any county in California. More than 1.1 million ballots had already been cast by residents, according to the California Secretary of State’s office. Overall, California boasts over 23 million registered voters, with about a quarter having already participated in the election.
Newly released voter registration figures indicate that as of October 20, around 45% of registered voters in the state identify as Democrats, while 25% are Republicans, and nearly 23% have “no party preference.” In L.A. County, Democrats represent 51% of registered voters, Republicans account for 19%, and those with no party preference make up 23%.
The Democratic Party’s significant registration advantage in California is likely a factor in the polling results for Proposition 50, which is the only item on the November 4 ballot. Proposition 50 proposes adopting new congressional maps that would remain in effect until 2030, influencing elections in 2026, 2028, and 2030. The new maps are projected to help Democrats gain five additional U.S. House seats, countering similar redistricting strategies employed by Republicans in states aiming to secure their control of the House in the upcoming midterm elections.
