Megyn Kelly criticized the slow pace of California's primary vote count, saying late mail-in ballots have eroded early Republican leads. Speaking on her June 5 YouTube show, Kelly suggested rising totals of outstanding ballots were changing the outcome in key races, including the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral contests. Her comments echoed former President Trump, who also criticized late-arriving mail ballots. California officials say they have up to 30 days to finish counting and may accept mail-in ballots postmarked by June 2 if received within seven days.
Megyn Kelly Calls California Vote-Counting Delay 'Ridiculous' as Mail-In Ballots Narrow GOP Leads
YouTube/Megyn Kelly; ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
As California continues to tally ballots from this week's primary elections, conservative commentator Megyn Kelly criticized the slow pace of final results and suggested late-arriving mail-in ballots were disproportionately hurting Republican candidates.
Kelly's Comments
“This is ridiculous. The only thing that has changed is that the numbers keep getting worse for Republicans,” Kelly, 55, said on the June 5 episode of her YouTube program. “Somehow the number of votes still outstanding to be counted continues to go up. I guess maybe this is because they keep receiving imaginary new ballots.”
Kelly argued that several Republican contenders appeared to be leading on Election Day (Tuesday, June 2), only to see those leads shrink as additional mail-in ballots were added to the totals. She specifically pointed to California's gubernatorial contest and the Los Angeles mayoral race as examples where early GOP advantages diminished in later tabulations.
Context and Reactions
Kelly warned that voter confidence could erode if prominent Republican figures do not advance to the general election, citing names such as Steve Hilton and Spencer Pratt. “No one is going to trust this outcome if those two are eliminated from the general election, given the leads that we’ve seen,” she said.
Her remarks echoed comments from former President Donald Trump, who wrote on Truth Social that late, large batches of mail-in ballots were being used to change early leads: “The Dumocrats are at it again! … Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS.”
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
Where The Races Stand
Incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has secured a spot on the November ballot. As of the latest reported tallies, NBC News placed Spencer Pratt in second with 29.4% of the vote and Nithya Raman in third with 23.4% in the mayoral contest, though final results are still being determined.
How Long Counting Can Take
California Secretary of State officials note that they have up to 30 days to complete official counts. Mail-in ballots that were postmarked on or before Election Day (June 2) may still be counted if they arrive within seven days after Election Day. This process can produce shifts in totals as outstanding ballots from different precincts and districts are added.
What To Expect: Officials will continue to update totals over the coming days. Officials emphasize that late-arriving, valid mail ballots are legally allowable and part of the standard counting process in California — a fact that can contribute to changes in early leads reported on election night.
Note: This report is based on public comments by Megyn Kelly and reporting from major outlets; vote totals remain subject to official certification.
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