Politics
Newly sworn-in LAPD chief sparks backlash after revealing plan to buck Trump admin on 'mass deportations'
The newly confirmed chief of the Los Angeles Police Department made it clear during a recent hearing that his department will “not assist” with the “mass deportations” in comments that sparked social media backlash.
“Since my appearance before the committee on public safety, the national election has caused many Angelenos to feel a deep, deep fear, especially in the immigrant community,” new LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said at a November 8 city council meeting before being sworn in as the department’s 59th chief.
“I have met with members of the community and heard that fear. We also heard some of that just now at public comment. I know we’ll speak more about immigration later in this hearing, but I want to be unequivocally clear here in my opening comments,” McDonnell continued. “LAPD will protect our immigrant community, LAPD officers will not take action to determine a person’s immigration status, and will not arrest someone for their status, and LAPD will not assist with mass deportations.”
McDonnell went on to say that Los Angeles is a “city of immigrants.”
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP’S DEPORTATION PLAN TOUTED AS A ‘COST SAVINGS’ OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICANS
“I know immigrants are being disparaged right now,” McDonnell said. “But I want the people of Los Angeles to know my viewpoint. Our nation was built by immigrants and L.A. is such an extraordinary city because of people here from literally all over the world.”
McDonnell’s comments sparked criticism from conservatives on social media and a clip of the hearing was posted on X by the popular conservative account LibsofTikTok.
“Who wants to tell him that they’re getting deported whether he likes it or not,” the account posted.
“Time to send in the Feds,” conservative influencer Harrison Krank posted on X.
“Get out of California while you still can!” political commentator Gunther Eagleman posted on X.
McDonnell, while previously serving as LA County Sheriff during Trump’s first term, worked with federal immigration agents to deport illegal alien criminals, Los Angeles Times reported, but said during the hearing he would not do so in his current role while pointing to specific policy, including Special Order 40, that prohibits it.
McDonnell was pressed in the hearing by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez on the issue of immigration pointing to the “seismic shift in the national landscape” and asked him to talk about what “protections are guaranteed” for Los Angeles residents illegally living in the United States.
TRUMP SAYS MASS DEPORTATIONS ‘NOT A QUESTION OF A PRICE TAG’
Migrants are processed by the U.S. Border Patrol near the Jacumba Hot Springs after crossing the US-Mexico border on June 13, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Qian Weizhong/VCG via Getty Images)
“We don’t stop somebody, we don’t arrest somebody, we don’t deal with people based on their immigration status, everybody gets to be treated equally across the city and so we will continue with that as part of who we are,” McDonnell said in the hearing.
“That’s also bolstered in recent years by the Trust Act and California Values Act in more recent years so the path forward is very clear,” McDonnell said. “LAPD is here to serve all of our communities, immigration is not a factor in how we deal with any individual or any group of people in any of our communities, the way we’re successful as a police organization is if when a crime occurs people are willing to come forward as a witness, as a victim, and be able to be part of the criminal justice process to hold people accountable for their crimes.
The Trust Act became law in California in 2014, after being signed by then Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, and limits the amount of time and reasons ICE hold requests can be honored by local jails.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives to speak at a campaign event at Nassau Coliseum, Wednesday, Sept.18, 2024, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A Cato Institute report in 2018 concluded that deportations went down in the city of Los Angeles after the Trust Act and dropped 39% while the rest of the country experienced a 9% drop.
McDonnell told Rodriguez he will be “very clear” about these immigration positions to whoever he talks to, regardless of “what we hear as part of the rhetoric of political discourse.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the LAPD asking whether McDonnell believes it is “wrong” to deport criminal illegal aliens and whether his department would assist in that effort but did not receive a response.
“If they’re not willing to help, then get the hell out of the way because [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] is going to do their job,” Tom Homan, who was acting ICE director during the first Trump administration and was recently named “border czar” under Trump, told Fox News Digital in an interview on Friday about jurisdictions that oppose a deportation effort.
Homan also pledged that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be empowered to go after the 425,000 illegal immigrants convicted of crimes and currently roaming free in the United States, according to a recent ICE report.
“We’re going to go get them,” Homan told Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
“And I saw today numerous governors from sanctuary states saying they’re going to step in the way. They better get the hell out of the way. Either you help us or get the hell out of the way, because ICE is going to do their job. We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE that the Biden Administration put on them and let ICE do what they do, what they do best,” he added.
Fox News Digital’s Kristine Parks contributed to this report
A number of patterns have emerged among the people President-elect Donald J. Trump has indicated he wants to fill his cabinet and other senior-level positions in his administration.
Some points of commonality are historically typical among senior White House and cabinet officials — Harvard, Yale and Princeton are well represented among his selections’ alma maters, for instance. Other uniting factors are unprecedented: Many on the list have denied or questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election, often a prerequisite for gaining Mr. Trump’s favor. And some lack the traditional qualifications shared by their predecessors.
Indeed, it appears that the most important qualifier in Mr. Trump’s mind has been fealty to him, which many of his picks have demonstrated in various ways over the past few years.
See some of the links between more than 60 potential members (in some cases pending confirmation) of the incoming administration, below.
At least 5 are billionaires.
Mr. Trump has picked two billionaires to lead key economic departments, raising questions about whether his administration will follow through on promises to boost the working class.
Scott Bessent, his choice for treasury secretary, is a hedge fund manager who invested money for George Soros, a liberal philanthropist, for more than a decade. Howard Lutnick, his pick for commerce secretary, is a Wall Street executive. Both Mr. Bessent and Mr. Lutnick have been vocal in their support for Mr. Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on imports, although they may prefer a more targeted approach.
Billionaire entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will lead what Mr. Trump is calling the Department of Government Efficiency. Mr. Trump has said the new initiative would operate outside of the government and offer input to federal officials.
At least 8 have been major Trump donors.
The president-elect has also selected major campaign donors for key positions, including four to lead cabinet agencies: Mr. Lutnick and Mr. Bessent, as well as Chris Wright to lead the Energy Department and Linda McMahon to lead the Education Department. (Ms. McMahon and Mr. Lutnick are also co-chairs of the Trump transition.) As of the last federal filing, their contributions to support Mr. Trump during the 2024 election cycle ranged from $350,000 to $20 million.
John Phelan, Mr. Trump’s pick for Navy secretary, and his wife, Amy, donated more than $1 million to Mr. Trump’s joint fund-raising campaign committee.
Steven Witkoff, a billionaire real estate mogul who has given nearly $2 million to Mr. Trump’s political causes over the past decade, was named special envoy to the Middle East. He was on the golf course with Mr. Trump in September during a second assassination attempt.
Mr. Musk poured at least $75 million into a new pro-Trump super PAC and promised on Oct. 19 to award one voter $1 million every day through Election Day. The Justice Department warned Mr. Musk that the giveaway might be illegal, but a judge in Philadelphia refused to halt the sweepstakes.
Charles Kushner, Mr. Trump’s pick for ambassador to France, is a real estate executive who gave at least $2 million to support Mr. Trump.
At least 12 hosted or co-hosted events at Mar-a-Lago.
After Mr. Trump left the White House, Mar-a-Lago became the headquarters of the MAGA movement. Events hosted by right-wing organizations and politicians there largely replaced traditional Palm Beach society galas on the resort’s calendar, as a visit became an essential rite for many Republican candidates.
Many of Mr. Trump’s recent picks were regular fixtures at Mar-a-Lago during this time. Some did more than visit, choosing to host expensive receptions on the property. As Mar-a-Lago’s owner, Mr. Trump is the beneficiary of its profits.
Several of the proposed officials have held campaign fund-raisers or served on the host committee to support another candidate’s event. Others hosted or co-hosted larger events for organizations they lead or champion.
At least 13 made appearances at Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
Mr. Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan was a staging ground for allies to prove their loyalty. Several of his recent picks traveled to New York in the spring to show support. Some were there in a professional context. Todd Blanche, Mr. Trump’s choice for deputy attorney general, was one of his trial lawyers, and Susie Wiles, Mr. Trump’s incoming chief of staff, was co-chair of his 2024 presidential campaign.
Others, like Vice President-elect JD Vance and Doug Burgum, Mr. Trump’s pick for interior secretary, attended the trial as spectators and attacked members of the presiding judge’s family on behalf of Mr. Trump, who was under a rule of silence. Both were considered potential running mates at the time.
At least 17 are associated with the America First Policy Institute or Project 2025.
Mr. Trump spent much of the campaign distancing himself from Project 2025, a sprawling initiative spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation that included a “blueprint” document for a new conservative administration that was authored in part by former Trump staffers. But since winning the election, Mr. Trump has picked at least seven people with ties to the controversial conservative policy initiative to serve in his administration.
Project 2025 also includes a database of Heritage-vetted personnel intended to help a Republican president build rank-and-file staff. It remains to be seen to what extent those candidates will be hired in the new administration.
The America First Policy Institute, which like the Heritage Foundation is a pro-Trump think tank, is also heavily represented in his picks so far. At least 11 of the people among his picks have ties to the upstart policy group. Much like Project 2025, the think tank has prepared staffing plans and a policy agenda, and it reportedly has drafted nearly 300 executive orders ready for Mr. Trump’s signature.
At least 11 are or have been Fox hosts or contributors.
Some of Mr. Trump’s appointees are closely linked to Fox as either hosts, former hosts or contributors. Pete Hegseth was a host on “Fox & Friends” until he became Mr. Trump’s pick for defense secretary. Mr. Hegseth’s co-host was Rachel Campos-Duffy, who is married to Sean Duffy, Mr. Trump’s cabinet pick for transportation secretary. Mr. Duffy also co-hosted a show on Fox Business.
Mr. Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, hosted a show on Fox for seven years. More recently, Mr. Ramaswamy was tapped to host a five-part series on Fox Nation.
Many more figures in Mr. Trump’s orbit are frequent guests on Fox News, and several not counted here have contributed digital columns to the Fox News website. Mr. Wright caught Mr. Trump’s attention in part through his appearances on Fox News.
At least 9 are or have been registered lobbyists.
The revolving door between lobbying and government is a tradition in Washington — and one of the practices Mr. Trump pledged to eliminate when he said he would “drain the swamp.” But some of the people Mr. Trump has tapped for his administration have deep ties to that very swamp.
Ms. Wiles was registered as a lobbyist until early this year. Pam Bondi, Mr. Trump’s choice for attorney general, joined a lobbying firm run by a prominent Florida fund-raiser after she finished her second term as Florida attorney general. Mr. Duffy lobbied for a coalition of airlines in 2020.
Some of Mr. Trump’s selections not shown here have acted as lobbyists without officially registering — another longstanding custom in the nation’s capital. Russell T. Vought, Mr. Trump’s choice to lead the Office of Management and Budget, noted in paperwork for his 2017 Senate confirmation hearing that he had “engaged in grassroots lobbying.”
At least 28 served in or advised the previous Trump administration.
More than two dozen of Mr. Trump’s cabinet and other senior-level picks also served in some capacity in his first administration.
Some have been chosen for roles related to their previous jobs. Thomas Homan was the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during Mr. Trump’s first term and has been named the border czar, a position that does not require Senate confirmation, for the coming term.
Others have been tapped for roles less related to their previous positions. Ms. McMahon was the administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019, and she is now Mr. Trump’s choice for education secretary.
Several on this list did not have official, full-time jobs during Mr. Trump’s last term, but they were chosen by him to sit on advisory boards. Those people include Mr. Witkoff, Mr. Huckabee and Mr. Musk.
Explore the members of Mr. Trump’s proposed senior staff below.
Treasury secretary
—
National Institutes of Health director
— White House deputy chief of staff
—
Deputy attorney general
—
Attorney general
Member of board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Senior adviser for Arab and Middle Eastern affairs
—
White House legislative affairs director
Deputy to the associate director for White House deputy chief of staff
—
Interior secretary
—
F.C.C. chairman
F.C.C. commissioner
Labor secretary
—
White House communications director
White House director of strategic response Veterans affairs secretary
—
Transportation secretary
—
Director of national intelligence
—
White House director of personnel
—
Deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism
Deputy assistant to the president and strategist U.S. trade representative
Chief of staff to trade representative
Director of the Domestic Policy Council
Deputy assistant to the president
Director of White House National Economic Council
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
Defense secretary
—
Ambassador to Canada
Ambassador to the Netherlands Border czar
Acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Ambassador to Israel
Member of board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Special envoy to Ukraine and Russia
National security adviser to the vice president
Health and human services secretary
—
Ambassador to France
— White House public liaison director
Special assistant to the president
White House press secretary
Assistant White House press secretary
Commerce secretary
—
F.D.A. commissioner
—
White House counsel
White House cabinet secretary Education secretary
Small business administrator
White House deputy chief of staff
Senior adviser
Co-lead, government efficiency
Member of Great American Economic Revival industry group
U.S. surgeon general
—
Homeland security secretary
— Deputy secretary of health and human services
—
Medicare and Medicaid administrator
Member of president’s council on sports, fitness and nutrition
F.B.I. director
Chief of staff to acting defense secretary
Navy secretary
—
White House political affairs director
— Co-lead, government efficiency
—
C.I.A. director
Director of national intelligence
Agriculture secretary
Acting domestic policy adviser
Secretary of state
—
U.S. solicitor general
— White House deputy chief of staff
White House deputy chief of staff
White House staff secretary
—
U.N. ambassador
—
Housing and urban development secretary
Executive director of White House opportunity and revitalization council
Vice president
— Office of Management and Budget director
Office of Management and Budget director
National security adviser
—
C.D.C. director
—
NATO ambassador
Acting attorney general
White House chief of staff
— Middle East envoy
Member of Great American Economic Revival industry group
Assistant to the president and principal deputy national security adviser
Deputy special representative for North Korea
Energy secretary
—
E.P.A. administrator
—
Methodology This list reflects 61 cabinet and senior-level position picks that Mr. Trump had announced as of noon Eastern on Dec. 2.
To determine ties to Project 2025, The Times checked Mr. Trump’s proposed staff members against the authors, editors and contributors to the Project 2025 playbook, as well as the instructor lists in Project 2025’s training programs. Ties to the America First Policy Institute were determined by whether an individual had a listed role on the conservative group’s website or has served as a fellow for the group.
To determine ties to Fox News, The Times searched for each staff pick on Fox’s website, which lists individuals’ affiliations with Fox News. In instances where a biographical page was not available for a nominee, The Times attempted a further search on the Internet Archive and consulted news articles that described other relationships between the potential nominees and appointees and Fox News. In many cases, nominees had a presence on the Fox News website in the form of submitted opinion articles, but were not described as Fox contributors, so The Times did not classify them as being tied to Fox directly.
Accounts by Times reporters and photographers who covered Mr. Trump’s trial in New York were used to determine whether one of Mr. Trump’s picks attended the trial.
Those labeled billionaires have been referred to as such in other Times coverage. Major donors include people who gave at least $250,000 to support Mr. Trump during the 2024 election cycle.
The Times used congressional lobbying disclosure databases to determine whether an individual is or has ever been a registered lobbyist.
To determine whether one of Mr. Trump’s picks hosted or co-hosted an event at Mar-a-Lago, The Times used permits from the town of Palm Beach; federal, state and county campaign finance records; tax records; social media posts; and promotional materials from organizations that held events.
The Times used the official White House archive from the first Trump administration to determine whether people selected for the second administration also served in the first. Some held multiple positions during the course of the administration. In most cases, the chart reflects the last position they held.
Scott Bessent
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Jay Bhattacharya
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
James Blair
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Todd Blanche
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Pam Bondi
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Massad Boulos
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
James Braid
first term
legislative affairs
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Taylor Budowich
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Doug Burgum
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Brendan Carr
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Lori Chavez-DeRemer
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Steven Cheung
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Doug Collins
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Sean Duffy
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Tulsi Gabbard
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Sergio Gor
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Sebastian Gorka
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Jamieson Greer
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Vince Haley
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Kevin Hassett
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Pete Hegseth
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Pete Hoekstra
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Thomas Homan
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Mike Huckabee
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Keith Kellogg
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Charles Kushner
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Alex Latcham
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Karoline Leavitt
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Howard Lutnick
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Martin A. Makary
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Bill McGinley
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Linda McMahon
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Stephen Miller
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Elon Musk
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Janette Nesheiwat
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Kristi Noem
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Jim O’Neill
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Mehmet Oz
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Kash Patel
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
John Phelan
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Matt Brasseaux
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Vivek Ramaswamy
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
John Ratcliffe
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Brooke Rollins
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Marco Rubio
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
D. John Sauer
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Dan Scavino
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Will Scharf
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Elise Stefanik
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Scott Turner
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
JD Vance
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Russell T. Vought
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Michael Waltz
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Dave Weldon
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Matthew Whitaker
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Susie Wiles
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Steven Witkoff
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Alex Wong
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Chris Wright
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
Lee Zeldin
first term
event(s)
N.Y. trial
to Fox
EXCLUSIVE: A senior GOP lawmaker is getting creative with his campaign to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee next year.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., is giving fellow lawmakers chips from the Berlin Wall, according to a photo provided by a source to Fox News Digital.
An inscription accompanying the chip suggests Wilson got the pieces himself nearly 35 years ago, an indirect affirmation of his decades of foreign affairs work. “This symbolizes the collapse of totalitarian communism and the success of democratic capitalism,” the elaborate display reads.
JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’
Rep. Joe Wilson is one of four Republicans running for the House Foreign Affairs Committee gavel. (Getty Images/Fox News Digital)
It said the chip was “secured by State Senator Joe Wilson on June 12, 1990, at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.”
“Sen. Wilson was returning from service as a member of the U.S. Observation Delegation of the June 10, 1990, parliamentary elections in the Republic of Bulgaria, that country’s first free elections after 59 years of Nazi and Communist dictatorship,” it said.
The race for the House Foreign Affairs Committee gavel is one of the most critical happening ahead of the 119th Congress.
The role will be of particular importance in U.S. relations with the rest of the globe next year, when Republicans are set to control all the main levers of power in Washington, D.C.
REPUBLICANS PROJECTED TO KEEP CONTROL OF HOUSE AS TRUMP PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT AGENDA
A photo provided to Fox News Digital shows a chip from the Berlin Wall attached to an elaborate display. (Fox News Digital)
Wilson is running against fellow committee members Reps. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., and Darrell Issa, R-Calif. The subcommittee chair for Oversight & Accountability, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., is also in the race.
Wilson is chair of the panel’s subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.
Current Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is stepping aside in order to adhere to House Republicans’ internal conference rules that mandate a lawmaker serve no more than three terms in the top spot on a committee.
MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT
Current Chairman Michael McCaul is stepping aside in adherence with House GOP conference rules. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“It has been an honor to serve as your Chairman and leader for the last six years,” McCaul wrote to colleagues in a message obtained by Fox News Digital. “[O]ut of respect for the will of the Conference, I intend to abide by these rules and support new leadership.”
“Serving as Chairman has truly been the most rewarding highlight of my career in Congress! I would like to thank all of you for your hard work and patriotism in confronting the major challenges we face across the Globe.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Wilson’s office for comment.
Politics
Commentary: Christmas is coming, and California is still counting ballots. Is that a problem?
Some Californians were carving Halloween pumpkins and taking their kids trick-or-treating when they cast their ballots in this year’s election. Now they’re putting up Christmas trees while officials are still tallying votes in some places.
With the vast majority of ballots counted, most of the races have been called by media organizations anyway, including some very close ones. In Orange County, Democrat Derek Tran was declared the winner in his race against incumbent Michelle Steel last week.
With that and a race in Iowa called the same week, California now claims the distinction of being home to the last congressional race in the country that has yet to be called. That’s in the Central Valley’s 13th District, where, with an estimated 99% of the votes counted as of Monday afternoon, Democratic challenger Adam Gray was leading Republican Rep. John Duarte by 143 votes.
That doesn’t mean everyone should keep hating on California for taking so long. First of all, we have more people than any other state. Second, every voter in the state is automatically mailed a ballot starting about a month before election day. In Los Angeles County, more than 70% of voters mailed in ballots or dropped them off, said Mike Sanchez, a spokesperson for the county registrar-recorder. According to the office of the California secretary of state, nearly 90% of voters cast their ballots by mail in the 2022 midterm.
Californians are also allowed to register and vote by provisional ballot on election day. It takes more time to process those ballots.
California ballots had to be postmarked by Nov. 5 to be counted but could be received by election officials up to seven days later. All those mailed ballots have to be checked to see whether the signatures match the ones on the voter rolls. And if they don’t, voters are contacted and told they can correct — or “cure” — the ballot with a signature.
The state’s voters had until Dec. 1 to fix their ballots. And so we still have votes being counted even as Christmas shopping is in full swing.
L.A. County workers have been processing and counting ballots every day since Nov. 6, the day after election day, except for Thanksgiving, according to Sanchez. In fact, the week after the election, the county had shifts processing ballots around the clock.
Could some counties process and count ballots faster? Maybe. Some state legislators are interested in finding ways to expedite the process.
But what’s more important is that the slow pace has gone hand in hand with allowing voters ample time and a few ways to get their ballots in — and then to fix issues that might prevent them from being counted. The painstaking process of collecting and checking these ballots speaks both to election integrity and to giving voters access and opportunities to vote.
That makes it worth waiting for a few races that seemed to take forever to call.
Closure is coming. All counties are required to submit their results for statewide elections by Friday. (And, as far as state officials know, no county has ever missed the deadline.) And the secretary of state is expected to certify statewide election results on Dec.13 — still weeks before any of the winners’ terms begin.
Swedish man arrested for alleged sexual exploitation of NH child
FBI seeks public's help after reports of drones flying around Morris County, New Jersey
About 1/3 of those who lost homes in Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire have gotten final payment offers • Source New Mexico
Snow in Asheville, Western NC: see highest totals, where more is expected, week’s forecast
Man shot, killed by Jamestown police officer responding to active shooter report
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Joe Wilson gifts 'chip of the Berlin Wall' to GOP lawmakers in bid for top committee spot
Georgia protests: What’s behind them and what’s next?
'Tis the season for porch pirates. Here are some tips to help protect your items
DOJ special counsel says Hunter Biden’s indictment should not be dismissed
Canada to impose sanctions against those suppressing Georgia protests
-
Science1 week agoDespite warnings from bird flu experts, it's business as usual in California dairy country
-
Health1 week agoCheekyMD Offers Needle-Free GLP-1s | Woman's World
-
Technology7 days agoLost access? Here’s how to reclaim your Facebook account
-
Entertainment6 days agoReview: A tense household becomes a metaphor for Iran's divisions in 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig'
-
Technology5 days agoUS agriculture industry tests artificial intelligence: 'A lot of potential'
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24007866/acastro_STK109_microsoft_02.jpg "Microsoft pauses Windows 11 updates for PCs with some Ubisoft games installed")
Technology1 week agoMicrosoft pauses Windows 11 updates for PCs with some Ubisoft games installed
-
Sports3 days agoOne Black Friday 2024 free-agent deal for every MLB team
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23906797/VRG_Illo_STK022_K_Radtke_Musk_Scales.jpg "Elon Musk targets OpenAI’s for-profit transition in a new filing")
Technology3 days agoElon Musk targets OpenAI’s for-profit transition in a new filing