California Rejects 148,241 Mail-In Ballots in June Primary

California officials rejected 148,241 mail-in ballots during the state's June primary, representing a 1.73% rejection rate. This figure marks a significant spike from the 2024 primary, where 108,982 ballots were voided. According to data from the Secretary of State of California, lateness was the primary cause of disqualification, accounting for 93,479 ballots. Tulare County reported the highest rejection rate at 3.52%.

Voting experts and the California Voter Foundation attribute the spike to U.S. Postal Service processing changes and postmark timing, alongside a late surge of voters in a chaotic gubernatorial race. Nearly 44,000 other ballots were rejected due to mismatched or missing signatures, or the submission of multiple ballots in a single envelope.

Donald Trump, President of the United States, criticized the state's slow vote-counting process and issued an executive order regarding federal voter lists. In tandem with these criticisms, the United States Department of Justice launched an investigation into election processes in Los Angeles County.