Steve Hilton says ‘world is laughing’ at California’s vote counting process
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to speed up California’s vote-counting process, arguing that delays in reporting election results are eroding public confidence. he pointed to several major races-such as the governor’s race, Los Angeles mayoral contest, and some competitive House races-remaining unresolved six days after the election.
Hilton criticized the state’s lengthy timeline and called it unacceptable despite California’s reputation for innovation. He said Newsom should stop “making excuses” and proposed an “Emergency Election Count Accelerator Plan,” which would temporarily redirect available state workers to county election offices, create specialized response teams for the most backlogged counties, and establish state funding to cover overtime and extended staffing.
California election officials have defended the extended counting period, citing verification requirements, the high share of vote-by-mail ballots, and laws that allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive later. Even after Newsom previously urged counties to accelerate processing, the state continued counting into the following week. In the governor’s race, xavier Becerra had already advanced to the general election with 72% of the vote counted, while Hilton and Tom Steyer trailed behind.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) to speed up California‘s vote counting process, arguing delays in reporting election results are eroding public trust in the state’s election.
Several high-profile contests, including the races for governor, Los Angeles mayor, and a handful of competitive House seats, remained unresolved as of Monday afternoon, six days after the election. The prolonged count has fueled speculation about election integrity and renewed criticism of California’s lengthy ballot counting process.
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“Californians deserve elections that are secure, transparent, and timely,” Hilton said. “If Governor Newsom is serious about restoring confidence in our elections, he should stop making excuses and deploy resources. Let’s get this done and give Californians the results they deserve.”
On Monday, he added, “Nearly a week into California’s election shambles. The world is laughing at our inability to count votes in a timely manner. Where is Gavin Newsom?”
Hilton, who as of Monday afternoon had yet to learn whether he would advance to the general election against former Biden administration official Xavier Becerra, unveiled what he called an “Emergency Election Count Accelerator Plan.” The proposal would provide additional state resources to county election offices to speed up ballot processing and deliver final results in days rather than weeks.
Specifically, it would direct the state to temporarily reassign available government employees to assist local election departments struggling with large backlogs. According to Hilton’s campaign, those workers could help with administrative tasks, ballot preparation, data entry, and other duties allowed under existing election laws, while remaining under the supervision of county election officials.
Hilton also called for the creation of specialized response teams that could be dispatched to counties facing the heaviest workloads, as well as a state fund to help cover the costs of overtime pay, extended operating hours, and weekend shifts.
Hilton said the pace of the count has become unacceptable in a state known for its technological innovation and economic influence.
California election officials have long defended the state’s timeline, noting that extensive verification procedures, widespread vote-by-mail participation, and laws allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive later all contribute to a lengthier counting process.
In May, Newsom urged local election officials to accelerate ballot processing, warning that delays in reporting results can fuel speculation and conspiracy theories.
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Still, despite the governor’s push, California once again found itself counting ballots well into the week after Election Day, with several major races remaining unresolved.
With 72% of the vote counted, Becerra, who has secured 27.2%, has already advanced to the general election. Hilton had 25.9% while billionaire Tom Steyer, a Democrat, had 21.5% as of Monday afternoon, according to the Associated Press.
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