One week after the election, thousands of ballots are still being processed across the state, with election workers working to verify and count votes within a shortened timeline.
At Fresno County's elections warehouse, Registrar of Voters James Kus said 155,000 ballots had already been verified and included in the most recent tally.
"That's equivalent to the busiest general election that we've ever had in Fresno County," Kus said.
Kus said local voters often wait until Election Day to cast their ballots, contributing to the surge in late-arriving votes. At the same time, a new state law has reduced the time counties have to complete ballot counting from 30 days to 13.
As ballots continue to be counted, some skeptics have voiced frustration over the pace, pointing to California's mail-in voting system. Among those raising concerns was former President Donald Trump, who alleged fraud in a recent social media post.
However, the two gubernatorial candidates advancing to the November general election both dismissed fraud concerns while offering differing views on a proposed voter identification law that will also appear on the ballot.
"If we had voter ID, we wouldn't need all this time that it takes for signature verification, that seems to be the delay," Republican candidate Steve Hilton said.
"I'm against voter suppression. I'm against anything that would try to limit a Californian's right to vote," said Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra.
Election officials also noted shifts in voting patterns as more ballots are counted. Early results initially showed stronger Republican performance, which later declined as additional ballots were processed - a trend Kus said is consistent with past elections.
"There's always a big shift towards the right with those in-person results as they're added in across the state," Kus said.
Inside the elections warehouse, staff manually review signatures on ballots to verify voter identity, a process that adds time but is critical to ensuring accuracy. While electronic systems could speed up the process, Kus said logistical challenges remain.
"Each one of those choke points has to be addressed. And do you have the physical space to do that? Do you have the manpower available?" Kus said.
Officials said Fresno County expects to certify its election results by June 26. Kus added that the high turnout in the primary is helping prepare staff for what could be another busy election cycle in November.
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