The State of California takes longer than anywhere else count votes thanks to its prioritization of inclusivity over speed in elections.  California has the largest population of registered voters in America, totaling around 23.2 million, and it makes it as easy as possible for them all to vote, at the expense of timely counting.  California passed legislation in 2021 to send mail-in ballots to each registered voter in a push for making voting accessible to all Californians. “Our priority is trying to maximize participation of actively registered voters,” said Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman, who wrote the bill. “What that means is things are a little slower. But in a society that wants immediate gratification, I think our democracy is worth taking a little time to get it right and to create a system where everyone can participate.” Mail ballots are notorious for slowing down elections, as each ballot needs to be individually opened and each requires extra validation steps. Although California allows absentee ballots to start to be processed 29 days before Election Day, California law accepts mail-in ballots up to seven days after Election Day if they are postmarked or timestamped before or on the day of the election. It can take a whole week for the state to determine how many ballots have been cast in the first place. California does require ID to register to vote, but it does not require any identification when voting in-person or absentee. Instead of using ID, California election officials compare the ballot’s signature to one on file, which is a process that can take much longer than using an ID. Many of the ballots have errors, which can draw out the election as voters fix their mistakes. Ballot curing is the process of correcting errors in a ballot. California is one of 24 states that both allow for ballot curing and allow for curing after election day.  While most states require that the ballot be cured within a week after election Day, California allows voters to wait until two days before election certification to fix their ballots, which could be weeks after election day. California’s lengthy election process can be seen with the highly-contested Los Angeles mayoral race, with only 63% of the vote counted by the day after the election. The results of the race are not expected to be confirmed for days, if not weeks.