Nearly 150,000 mail ballots were rejected during California’s June primary, with most tied to late postmarks, according to state election data.
The figures have renewed scrutiny of California’s vote-by-mail rules, which have undergone major changes in recent years as state officials have sought to expand ballot access and increase voter participation.
Data from the California Secretary of State’s Office shows that 148,241 mail ballots were rejected in the June primary, representing 1.73 percent of all mail ballots cast.
The total was higher than previous primary elections, with 108,982 mail ballots rejected in 2024 and 105,818 rejected in 2022.
Late ballots accounted for the largest share of rejected mail votes.
State records show 93,479 ballots were rejected because they were considered late, making it the leading reason ballots were not counted.
California law allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, but the return envelope must have an Election Day postmark to qualify, according to Trending Politics.
Election officials and voting experts said many rejected ballots appeared to have received postmarks after the deadline.
California has expanded its mail-voting system in recent years, including automatically sending ballots to registered voters.
Supporters argue the changes make voting more accessible, while critics have raised concerns about ballot deadlines, verification procedures, and the challenges of managing a large-scale mail election system.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the increase in ballots rejected for lateness raises concerns involving both postal operations and voter timing.
Alexander said the issue was primarily linked to ballots receiving late postmarks rather than arriving after California’s seven-day acceptance period.
Mindy Romero, director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy, said ballot rejection rates can vary between elections but said the increase in ballots rejected for lateness compared with recent primaries deserves additional review.
Her organization researches election participation and access issues.
Postal service procedures have also drawn attention in discussions about delayed ballot processing.
Updated U.S. Postal Service policies allow some postmarks to reflect when mail is processed at certain facilities rather than the first day it entered the postal system.
Election officials and others have raised concerns that changes to postal operations could affect the timing of election-related mail.
Thousands of ballots were rejected for reasons unrelated to lateness.
The Associated Press reported that early 44,000 mail ballots were rejected because officials determined the voter’s signature did not match the signature on file.
More than 8,300 were rejected because the returned envelope lacked a required signature.
Other rejected ballots involved voters who had already submitted another ballot, missing ballots inside return envelopes, or multiple ballots being returned together.
The rejection rates varied across the state.
Tulare County recorded the highest mail-ballot rejection rate in the June primary at 3.52 percent, followed by Alpine County and Merced County, which each reported a 3.36 percent rejection rate.
State officials did not release a breakdown of rejected ballots by political party registration.
California’s election system has faced criticism over the length of time required to complete vote counting.
Due to the state’s large volume of mail ballots and procedures allowing additional time for ballots to arrive, final results can take weeks to complete compared with some states that certify election results more quickly.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized California’s election procedures, including the time required to complete vote counts.
His administration’s Department of Justice has also launched an investigation into Los Angeles County’s elections.
The rejected ballot figures come as election administration remains a major national issue, with debates continuing over ballot deadlines, voter verification measures, and the safeguards needed to maintain confidence in election results.
California officials and election observers are continuing to examine the state’s vote-by-mail system ahead of future elections, including its ballot processing timelines and administrative requirements.
