DOJ Launches Fraud Probes Into California's Slow Primary Vote Count

The United States Department of Justice and FBI launched multiple election fraud investigations in California following the June 2 primaries. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli cited serious structural vulnerabilities in the state's universal vote-by-mail system and lack of voter ID requirements. As part of the probe, federal prosecutors visited the Los Angeles County ballot processing facility to observe operations and began auditing state voter rolls.

President Donald Trump fueled the investigations by claiming on social media and at a White House event that Democrats were rigging the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral races. He alleged that late-arriving mail-in ballots were being used to steal the election from Republican candidates. These claims were amplified by a technical reporting lag from the Associated Press, which briefly showed a stagnant vote total for candidate Spencer Pratt, prompting further accusations of fraud from Trump and Elon Musk.

In the gubernatorial race, Republican Steve Hilton initially led before Democrat Xavier Becerra overtook him for the top spot. In Los Angeles, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass secured a runoff position, while Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman battle for the second spot. As late ballots leaned Democratic, Raman significantly narrowed the gap with Pratt.

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber and Governor Gavin Newsom dismissed the fraud allegations as baseless. They defended the state's timeline, noting that laws allowing ballots to arrive seven days after Election Day prioritize accuracy and voter accessibility over speed. Final results are expected by July 3, 2026.