Letters to the Editor: There are good reasons for why California vote-counting takes so long

To the editor: In response to the letter writer who questions election integrity in California by comparing the speed of election results when he was “a kid” to today’s slower results, I offer an answer (“Letters to the Editor: Trump’s repeated lies about our elections show a lack of respect for us,” July 18).

I don’t know how old the letter writer is, but let’s assume he is talking about 50 years ago, around the 1976 election. There were very few mail-in ballots then, whereas in the most recent elections, an overwhelming percentage of California ballots were submitted by mail or in drop boxes. These ballots, under current law, cannot be counted until polls close on election day.

Further, in the 1976 presidential election, nearly 8 million Californians voted; in the 2024 presidential election, 16 million Californians voted. I acknowledge that technology has improved over these 50 years, but with the advent of mail-in ballots, whose convenience so many of us appreciate, also comes the greater task of certifying individual ballots. It requires close inspection by human beings, a time-consuming task, but one that is necessary to ensure the validity of all votes.

Mort Tuchin, Poway, Calif.