California counts votes and Trump makes baseless voter fraud claims

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Consider This from NPR

Episode: California counts votes and Trump makes baseless voter fraud claims
Date: June 8, 2026
Host: Mary Louise Kelly
Guest: Miles Parks, NPR Voting Correspondent

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Episode Overview

This episode of Consider This dives into the aftermath of California’s recent primary. As the state continues its characteristically slow vote count, former President Donald Trump has revived unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, pointing to the delay as evidence. The episode focuses on unpacking the origins and logistics of California’s voting process, explains why results take time, and speculates on the potential for similar claims in the upcoming midterms.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Trump’s Claims and Their Context

• Trump’s Recent Interview ([00:27]-[01:10]):
  • Trump claims on national TV that the California election is “rigged,” suggesting without evidence that vote counting delays indicate fraud.
    • Trump: “It’s four days and they aren’t even close to coming up… Because they’re cheating on the election.” ([00:31])
    • When pressed by Kristen Welker for evidence, Trump replies: “All I have to do is look.” ([00:44])
    • Frustrated, he ends the interview: “Your elections are crooked and you’re crooked… Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling.” ([00:51])
• The episode draws a parallel to Trump’s recurring use of this “playbook,” familiar from previous elections like 2020.

California’s Vote Counting: Why Is It Slow?

• No Evidence of Fraud ([03:27]):
  • Miles Parks: “No. Just like there was no evidence that there was fraud in 2020.”
• Mail-In Ballots Delay the Process ([03:33]-[04:26]):
  • California’s voting system is designed for accessibility, not speed.
  • The delay is due to meticulous ballot processing: scanning, signature verification, and pre-count checks.
  • A phenomenon dubbed the “red mirage” can occur: Republicans may appear ahead in early counts, but this shifts as more Democratic mail-in ballots are processed.
    • Miles Parks: "Democrats tend to vote by mail more than Republicans... So we'll sometimes see something known as the red mirage..." ([04:00])
• Significant Proportion Submit Ballots on Election Day ([04:36]-[05:28]):
  • Former Arizona official Stephen Richer points out the process for millions of ballots doesn’t start until election night or after.
    • Stephen Richer: “That process isn’t even getting started until the evening of Election Day or until a day or two after. And that’s especially the case when we’re talking about millions, legitimately millions of mail ballots that are dropped off on Election Day.” ([05:10])
• California Accepts Late Arriving Ballots ([05:28]):
  • Ballots postmarked by Election Day can be received up to a week later and are still counted.

How California Compares Nationally

• Not Much Slower Than Other States ([05:55]-[06:27]):
  • According to MIT’s Charles Stewart, in 2024 it took California about 10 days to reach 95% of votes counted, similar to Alaska. Other states, like Mississippi and Utah, took eight days.

Looking Forward: What’s at Stake in November?

• Implications for the Midterms ([06:27]-[07:19]):
  • The “slow count” dynamic will likely return in November.
  • California’s competitive races could determine control of the House, increasing scrutiny and potential for misinformation.
  • Stephen Richer: “I think we’re going to be in for a real slog with California come November, and I think that the volume will be at least 10 times what it is right now.” ([07:06])
• Persistent Pattern of Fraud Allegations ([07:19]):
  • Richer notes Trump has claimed fraud for a decade, starting with the 2016 Iowa caucuses.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Trump’s Sharp Exit: “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time, Mr. President.” ([01:01])
• Clear Refutation:
  • Mary Louise Kelly: "So to ask the basic question, is there any evidence of fraud with the California vote counting process?"
  • Miles Parks: "No." ([03:27])
• Explaining the Red Mirage:
  • Miles Parks: “Democrats tend to vote by mail more than Republicans do. And mail ballots take longer to count… So we'll sometimes see something known as the red mirage, where a Republican candidate looks like they're ahead and then they fade as mail ballots are counted.” ([04:00])
• On Upcoming Rhetoric:
  • Stephen Richer: “The only difference that we're going to see is an even tenser political environment… I think that the volume will be at least 10 times what it is right now.” ([07:06])

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Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:00-01:10 — Trump’s interview, claims of fraud, abrupt ending.
• 02:50-03:33 — Introduction of Miles Parks and framing of the issue.
• 03:33-04:26 — No fraud; explanation of the “red mirage.”
• 04:36-05:28 — Breakdown of ballot processing delays.
• 05:28 — Late-arriving ballots policy.
• 05:55-06:27 — Comparing California’s results timeline to other states.
• 06:27-07:19 — November outlook and likely increase in heated rhetoric.

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Conclusion

In this episode, NPR addresses President Trump’s renewed, unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in California and places them in the larger context of how votes are processed in the state. With expert explanation from Miles Parks and insight from Stephen Richer, the episode makes clear that California’s timeline results from policies prioritizing voter convenience and accuracy—not fraud. The discussion anticipates that these allegations will only intensify as the politically pivotal midterms approach, underscoring the importance of understanding how and why election processes work the way they do.

Transcript

[A]

It's consider this where every day we go deep on one big news story. Today, President Trump uses California's slow vote count to revive baseless claims of election fraud. It has been almost a week since Californians went to the polls and yet several races have yet to be called. During the wait, President Trump has brought back election fraud claims. Like here speaking this past weekend with NBC's Kristen Welker on Meet the Press,

[B]

it's the Republicans are doing well in California. It's no, they're not there. They're, they're dropping fast because it's a rigged election. Let me tell you, it's four days and they aren't even close to coming up. That's how they count. You know why they're doing that? Because they're cheating on the election.

[A]

There's what do you have evidence to support?

[B]

All I have to do is look.

[A]

Trump leader ended that interview abruptly after Welker pressed him for evidence.

[B]

Your elections in this country, we're like a third world country. Your elections are crooked and you're crooked and Meet the Press is crooked and so is ABC and CBS and cnn, your one sided crooked network. So let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time, Mr. President.

[A]

Let's consider this. With his claims about California, Trump is returning to a familiar playbook. Is this a preview of what the midterms could look like? From npr, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[C]

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[A]

It's consider this from npr. We are still waiting for some results from last Tuesday's primary in California. That election will determine who is on the ballot this fall in the races for governor, also Los Angeles mayor and key congressional districts. But the state is one of the slowest in the country to count votes. And in the meantime, President Trump is pushing familiar and false claims of election fraud. Joining me now to talk through Trump's claims, a slow count in California and what all this could mean for the upcoming midterms is NPR voting correspondent Miles Parks. Hey, Miles.

[E]

Hi, Mary Louise.

[A]

Hey. So to ask the basic question, is there any evidence of fraud with the California vote counting process?

[E]

No. Just like there was no evidence that there was fraud in 2020. Widespread fraud, I should say, even though, as you heard Trump say, he still to this day claims that there was. But both that election and this one in California present situations that do lend themselves pretty easily to these sort of fraud claims. Okay, just like Trump looked like he he was ahead when votes started coming in in 2020 started to be counted. A candidate in the Los Angeles mayors race named Spencer Pratt looked like he was going to make it to the general in that state's top two primary. But then as more ballots have been counted, Pratt dropped to third, which is fueling a lot of this conspiracy theorizing because Pratt had really caught on with national conservatives. But this is all pretty easily explained. In recent years, Democrats tend to vote by mail more than Republicans do. And mail ballots take longer to count than in person votes do. So we'll sometimes see something known as the red mirage, where a Republican candid and it looks like they're ahead and then they fade as mail ballots are counted.

[A]

Okay, that makes sense. It does seem unusual though, that California does take so long to count. Do we know why?

[E]

It's really a policy discussion. California is one of the easiest states to vote in. But some of those convenience measures come at the cost of super quick counting. The biggest one is related to how mail ballots are counted and processed. Officials need to scan these mail ballots. They need to check the signatures to make sure of identities. They have to get rid of the envelopes to make sure the ballot is ready to be counted. Right. So all of that is fine if the ballot is returned early. But roughly a quarter of people turn in their mail ballots on election Day. Stephen Richard told me he's a former voting official from Arizona who's now a fellow at the Cato Institute and Harvard

[F]

University that process isn't even getting started until the evening of Election Day or until a day or two after. And that's especially the case when we're talking about millions, legitimately millions of mail ballots that are dropped off on Election Day.

[E]

There are a couple other policies that contribute to California also accepts mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but don't arrive until up until a week after. So election officials are still receiving ballots. Well, that will count even today, like right now. Exactly. So all of this contributes to longer vote counting.

[A]

And how much of an outlier is California? We've already had a lot of primaries this year, including in a lot of places where people also vote by mail. And this is the first time it's popping up.

[E]

It's really interesting, right, because California is slow, but they're not actually that slow compared to some other states. You take 2024, for instance. I was emailing with MIT political science professor Charles Stewart. He assembled a data set that looked at how quickly each state counted their votes in the 2024 election, and he shared it with me. It took roughly 10 days for California to get to 95% of their votes counted. Sounds like a lot, but it took Alaska roughly the same amount. And it took states like Mississippi and Utah something like eight days. So far off.

[A]

Interesting. So let me ask about what we may be learning in terms of a playbook for November and those midterms which are coming up. California, as we noted, it has multiple competitive races, could determine who controls the House of Representatives here in Washington. Might we see this dynamic play out again?

[E]

I think almost certainly. I mean, the handful of races that we're talking about in California right now are close. And when that is the case, the vote counting process gets spotlighted because it takes longer to call the races. That could be the case again in November. Stephen Richer, the former voting official we heard from earlier, said absence of big policy changes, the only difference that we're going to see is an even tenser political environment.

[F]

I think we're going to be in for a real slog with California come November, and I think that the volume will be at least 10 times what it is right now.

[E]

Richer, who is a Republican, noted that Trump has been falsely claiming fraud about elections that he doesn't like for 10 years since the Iowa caucuses in 2016. So there's no reason to think he'll stop now.

[A]

That is NPR's Miles Parks covering voting and elections for us. Thank you, Miles.

[E]

Thank you.

[A]

This episode was produced by Alejandro Marquez Hanse with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Christopher Inteliata, and Megan Pratts. Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[C]

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[D]

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