A heated debate erupted on The View on Monday as co-hosts Alyssa Farah Griffin and Sunny Hostin sparred over California’s extended vote-counting course of.
The conflict got here because the race for second place in LA’s mayoral contest tightened, with Spencer Pratt slipping behind progressive Nithya Raman as further ballots continued to return in.
The panel first aired a clip of President Donald Trump criticizing NBC Information moderator Kristen Welker and alleging election misconduct was happening within the Golden State.
After moderator Whoopi Goldberg questioned why allegations of fraud appear to floor each time one political facet loses, Griffin argued repeated claims about stolen elections have continued regardless of years of investigations and authorized challenges failing to provide proof.
She mentioned skepticism about election outcomes can develop when counting stretches on for days or even weeks after election day, including California ought to discover methods to hurry up the method.
Griffin pointed to Florida for instance of a state that handles massive numbers of mail ballots whereas nonetheless reporting outcomes shortly.
“Folks are inclined to not belief elections when it takes an actual very long time to depend votes,” Griffin mentioned. “L.A., and California generally, want to determine how to do that faster.
“Change the legal guidelines so you are able to do it in someday. Florida has plenty of mail-in they usually get their outcomes the identical evening.”
Hostin shortly pushed again, arguing that accuracy ought to take priority over pace. She defended California’s system, saying officers confirm signatures on ballots and comply with up when discrepancies come up.
“I really feel the precise reverse,” Hostin mentioned. “I feel if somebody is taking their time to depend the votes, I feel if somebody is taking a look at each single factor … it does take a very long time to be proper, to do it properly.”
The disagreement intensified when Griffin challenged Hostin’s rationalization. “Why can Florida do it proper in a single evening, although?” Griffin requested.
Hostin responded by emphasizing California’s dimension and voter inhabitants. “I don’t assume you are able to do it when you have got 23 million registered voters. It’s simply not attainable!” she mentioned.
Griffin countered that earlier processing of mail ballots may assist speed up reporting, whereas Hostin maintained that California’s large quantity of vote-by-mail ballots presents a singular problem.
Not like states comparable to Florida and Texas, which course of massive numbers of mail ballots earlier than election day and sometimes report near-complete unofficial outcomes inside hours of polls closing, California continues counting ballots for days and even weeks after voting ends.
Election consultants say the state’s scale is a significant component.
California has roughly 23 million registered voters and affords a number of voting strategies, together with mail ballots, vote facilities, safe drop bins and provisional ballots.
State regulation additionally permits ballots to reach after Election Day in the event that they have been postmarked on time. As well as, voters are given alternatives to appropriate signature or identification points, extending the time required to finalize outcomes.
Election officers have argued that California’s system is designed to make sure each legitimate poll is counted, even when meaning ready longer for remaining outcomes.
“California regulation prioritizes counting each legitimate poll, not simply the quickest ballots,” a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Registrar beforehand informed The California Publish.
