California Vote Count Takes a Week. Is That Too Slow?

California took a full week to count votes in a recent election. For many, this raises a simple question: why does it take so long? While the state points to complex rules and mail-in ballots, the delay is eroding public trust. When other states tally results in hours or a day, a week-long wait feels like a failure of process. If the goal is to maintain faith in elections, speed and accuracy must go hand in hand. Slow counting is not just an inconvenience—it is a reason for doubt.