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LA Times editorial board member defends California's slow voting process as 'election integrity' in action

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LA Times editorial board member defends California's slow voting process as 'election integrity' in action

A left-leaning Los Angeles Times editorial board member defended California still counting votes nearly a month after Election Day this week, saying the state’s “painstaking process of collecting and checking” ballots was a testament to election integrity.

“Could some counties process and count ballots faster? Maybe. Some state legislators are interested in finding ways to expedite the process,” LA Times editorial board member Carla Hall wrote this week.

“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.”

As Hall noted, some Californians were getting ready for Halloween when they voted in the 2024 race, and now they’re putting up Christmas decorations while officials were still counting votes. 

LA TIMES COLUMNIST RESIGNS, ACCUSES NEWSPAPER OWNER OF ‘SHAMEFUL CAPITULATION’ TO TRUMP

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Vice President Kamala Harris unsurprisingly won California over President-elect Donald Trump, but it’s the state’s slow vote-counting that has angered Republicans. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin;;  Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Vice President Kamala Harris, a former California U.S. senator, was quickly named the winner in California on Election Night, but the notoriously slow-counting state was still tabulating ballots last week, which has cut into President-elect Donald Trump’s national popular vote margin. Trump lost California by nearly 30 points in 2020 to Joe Biden but cut the margin to about 20 points in 2024.

The final undecided House race in the country was called last week in California, when Democrat Adam Gray ousted Republican Rep. John Duarte in the 13th Congressional District. Gray declared victory four weeks after the election. Another House race in the 45th Congressional District, where Democrat Derek Tran unseated GOP Rep. Michelle Steel, was called more than three weeks after the election.

“It is absurd for California to accept ballots by mail up to 7 days after Election Day and take almost a month to count them,” Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley wrote on X last month.

RNC RAILS AGAINST CALIFORNIA’S LATE MAIL-IN BALLOT COUNTING AMID NATIONAL LITIGATION: ‘IT IS ABSURD’

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SANTA ANA, CA – November 12: Workers process ballots at the Orange County Registrar of Voters in Santa Ana, CA on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. A large voter turnout and the ballot verification process adds to the time it takes to get a final tally.  (Getty Images)

But Hall said people shouldn’t be “hating” on the country’s most populous state for taking its time, citing its provisions like mailing every voter a ballot a month before Election Day and how the state allows citizens to register and vote by provisional ballot on Election Day. In addition, California voters are contacted if their signatures don’t match the ones on voter rolls and given an opportunity to “cure” their ballots, and they have until Dec. 1 to do so.

“That makes it worth waiting for a few races that seemed to take forever to call,” Hall argued.

Hall’s previous individual articles show her preference for Harris; a pre-election column lamented a second Trump administration would damage abortion rights further and another said Harris had “already earned your vote.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Hall for further comment.

California’s vote-counting process has been prolonged due to the high volume of mail-in-ballots, with a majority of Californians opting to vote by mail. In the state’s 2022 election, nearly 90% of votes were cast via mail-in ballots.

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LA TIMES OWNER ANNOUNCES PLANNED AI-POWERED ‘BIAS METER’ FOR STORIES, COLUMNS

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The Los Angeles Times building and newsroom. ((Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images))

State law also permits mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive up to a week later. Mail-in ballots are typically put through a verification process that can also lengthen the amount of time they are tallied. The election certification deadline is Dec. 16. 

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.

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David Rutz is a senior editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @davidrutz.

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Utah

New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier transfers to Utah

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December 11, 2024

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New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier transfers to Utah


Utah has its new quarterback.

New Mexico quarterback Devon Dampier is following his offense coordinator, Jason Beck, to Salt Lake City.

Dampier, a sophomore, was the catalyst for the Lobos’ high-powered offense, which generated 484.2 yards per game (fourth-best in the country) and scored 33.5 points per game (No. 27 in the country).

In his first season as a full-time starter, Dampier was one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football, totaling 3,934 yards of offense in 2024 — 2,768 passing and 1,166 rushing.

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Against Power Four (and former Power Five) competition this season — Arizona, Auburn and Washington State — Dampier threw for a combined 725 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. He added 354 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

New Mexico’s offense was the reason why the Lobos finished the year with a 5-6 record, their best mark since 2016, despite a defense that allowed 38 points and 492.1 yards per game, and Beck and Dampier will try and replicate that production at Utah.

Beck’s spread offense makes heavy use of the run-pass option and is at its best with a quarterback that can run, and Dampier fits the bill. He executed Beck’s offense at a very high level this season and was durable despite running the ball 155 times — playing in every single game this season.

Under Beck, Utah will look to run first, with the quarterback run being a huge factor. In 2024, New Mexico had the fifth-best rushing offense in the nation (253.6 yards per game), with Dampier leading the way with 1,166 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. Running back Eli Sanders wasn’t far behind with 1,063 rushing yards and nine scores.

Dampier is a true dual-threat quarterback and is at his best when he’s running the ball. He possesses top-end speed, can make defenders miss (he forced 51 missed tackles this season, according to Pro Football Focus), and is explosive when the ball is in his hands. While there were a lot of designed quarterback runs called by Beck for Dampier, he’s also adept at both reading the defense and knowing when to run the ball on the RPO and at scrambling when there’s no receivers open.

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“We don’t win without him,” New Mexico coach Bronco Mendenhall — now at Utah State — said about Dampier after a 38-35 win over No. 19 Washington State.

“And when your quarterback could run the ball like that, that tough and that physical, with the deception also of having Eli Sanders and NaQuari (Rogers) running the ball, as well. Gosh, well, that’s what winning and really good football teams do, right? They run when they need to, and you stop the run when you have to.”

Utah has never had a 1,000-yard rusher at the quarterback position. While other quarterbacks at Utah have shown the ability to run the ball in the past, Dampier does it at a level that hasn’t been seen at the university since Alex Smith ran Urban Meyer’s spread offense in 2004.

Dampier is a fantastic runner, but that’s only half of the equation that makes up a dual-threat quarterback. This season, Dampier was one of the least accurate passers in the FBS, completing just 57.9% of his passes, and had a 1:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio (12 touchdowns, 12 interceptions).

To continue the success he enjoyed in the Mountain West Conference at the Power Four level, Dampier must improve his accuracy this offseason. With a starting season under his belt and another offseason working with Beck, he should progress in that aspect ahead of a crucial 2025 season for Utah.

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Dampier’s 2,768 passing yards ranked No. 34 among FBS quarterbacks this season and he showed that he can make plays through the air. With his scrambling ability, he has the ability to buy time for himself and was the least-sacked quarterback in all of college football. He had two 300-plus-yard passing games and nearly another against Auburn, where he racked up 291 passing yards.

As Utah begins to install a new offense for the first time since 2019, when offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig was hired for his second stint at the university, having a quarterback that is already well-versed in Beck’s system is extraordinarily important and will make the transition easier for the offense.

Dampier should have a clear path to start right away at Utah after every quarterback that played this season, except Cam Rising, entered the transfer portal this offseason. Rising has not made an official decision, but a report from 247Sports national reporter Matt Zenitz says that the current expectation is that the 25-year-old quarterback will not be on Utah’s roster next season.

Since the regular season ended, Isaac Wilson and Brandon Rose both announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal, and Luke Bottari is out of eligibility. If Rising does indeed decide to move on, the only quarterbacks — aside from Dampier — on Utah’s roster are incoming three-star freshmen Wyatt Becker and Jamarian Ficklin.

The Utes will likely try to get another quarterback from the transfer portal to shore up the position ahead of the 2025 season.

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New Mexico Lobos quarterback Devon Dampier (4) during game against Arizona Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tucson, Ariz. | Darryl Webb



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Washington

Washington Nationals General Manger Will Not Focus Solely on Ethan Holliday

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26 minutes ago

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December 11, 2024

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Washington Nationals General Manger Will Not Focus Solely on Ethan Holliday


The Washington Nationals entered the Winter Meetings with a lot of needs to fill, but they recently got some excellent news. 

While they still have a lot of holes on their roster, they recently wont the MLB Draft Lottery, securing the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. 

This is a big deal for the team looking to break out of their rebuild to once again become a contender.

The last two times the Nationals had the No.1 overall pick, it worked out quite well, as they were able to select Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. 

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With the draft coming up in the summer, general manager Mike Rizzo and his staff will have plenty of time between now and then. 

Rizzo has been with the organization for both of those picks, so he knows what an elite prospect can do for the franchise. While the draft is still months away, it is looking like Ethan Holliday will be the early favorite to be selected first overall.

However, Rizzo isn’t just focusing on him. 

“What I’ve learned from those (previous No. 1) picks is: Don’t get too ultra-focused on one player in one draft season,” Rizzo told MLB Network on Tuesday evening with text via Mark Zuckerman of MASN. “Have a wide scope, and really scour the country. Especially with the draft pools being so large, and allocating money differently, you can really do some interesting things and impact your draft throughout the entirety.”

There is certainly a lot to like about Holliday as a prospect, with his brother Jackson Holliday being a former first overall pick of the Baltimore Orioles and his father being former multi-time All-Star Matt Holliday.

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At 17 years old, Ethan is still very raw as a prospect, but his ceiling is very high, as his brother Jackson said Ethan is further along than him at the same stage.

While the younger Holliday might be the top choice, there are some other strong options. 

Rizzo will certainly be looking at Holliday closely, but outfielder Jace LaViolette and pitcher Jamie Arnold will also get some looks.

The Nationals getting the first pick is really exciting for the franchise, as this is a team that already has a ton of young talent. Adding another player who could be better than James Woods or Dylan Crews at some point in his career will only help improve a team that already has a very bright future.

Washington has done a good job with their previous two first overall picks, and they will be hoping to strike gold again. 

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Wyoming

How to get tickets for #1 Penn State wrestling vs. #26 Wyoming at Bryce Jordan Center

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December 11, 2024

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How to get tickets for #1 Penn State wrestling vs. #26 Wyoming at Bryce Jordan Center


Cael Sanderson and Penn State’s top-ranked wrestling program get a surprise first of three duals now planned to take place at Bryce Jordan Center. That announcement came down on Sunday with the women’s volleyball team set to host a regional of the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championships at Rec Hall.

Penn State’s wrestling team now shifts to the BJC, opening up more opportunities for fans to watch the ranked-on-ranked action live with a capacity of 15,261, compared to 6,502 at Rec Hall.

  • How to get Penn State vs. Wyoming tickets: Seats are available now for Penn State’s match against Wyoming on secondary sites Vivid Seats, StubHub, SeatGeek and Viagogo.

Starting prices for PSU-Wyoming tickets are as follows (as of Dec. 11):

Vivid Seats starting at $40

StubHub starting at $28

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SeatGeek starting at $31

Viagogo starting at $31

#26 Wyoming Cowboys (2-2) at #1 Penn State Nittany Lions (2-0)

NCAA wrestling matchup at a glance

  • When: Sunday, Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Penn State will wrestle its third dual of the season and its second at home following an impressive 36-3 win at Lehigh on Sunday afternoon. The high point in that matchup was a win by No. 23 redshirt freshman 197-pounder Josh Barr by an 11-3 major decision over No. 6 Michael Beard. Freshman Luke Lilledahl also scored a ranked win by a 4-1 decision over No. 15 Sheldon Seymour at 125 pounds.

Wyoming could offer up a prime showdown at 125 with No. 7 Jore Volk in that spot, along with potential quality matchups with PA native Gabe Willochell ranked No. 22 at 149 pounds, Jared Hill ranked No. 19 at 157 and Joey Novak sitting at No. 14 at 197. With Barr making a leap from No. 23 to No. 7 in this week’s Intermat rankings, nine of the Nittany Lions’ 10 projected starters carry top-10 national rankings. The only exception is Lilledahl, who has a 5-0 record and is ranked No. 12 at 125.

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Here’s a look at the remainder of Penn State’s 2024-’25 wrestling season schedule with TV and time info, ticket info and how to watch:

Sunday, Dec. 15: #26 Wyoming at #1 Penn State

  • When: 1 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Rec Hall, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Sunday, Dec. 22: #1 Penn State at Journeymen Duals vs. Binghamton (3 p.m. ET), #16 Arkansas-Little Rock (5 p.m.), #14 Missouri (7 p.m.)

  • Venue: Ensworth Frist Campus,
  • Tickets: Journeymen Wrestling
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: Rokfin

Friday, Jan. 10: Michigan State at #1 Penn State

Friday, Jan. 17: #1 Penn State at #3 Nebraska

  • Time: 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT)
  • Venue: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: BTN
  • Live streaming: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Friday, Jan. 24: #1 Penn State at #18 Rutgers

  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Jersey Mike’s Arena, Piscataway, N.J.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: BTN
  • Live streaming: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Friday, Jan. 31: #2 Iowa at #1 Penn State

  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: BTN
  • Live streaming: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Friday, Feb. 7: #12 Michigan at #1 Penn State

  • Venue: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pa.
  • Time: 6 p.m. ET
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: BTN
  • Live streaming: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)

Sunday, Feb. 9: #27 Maryland at #1 Penn State

  • Time: 1 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Rec Hall, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Friday, Feb. 14: #1 Penn State at #6 Ohio State

Sunday, Feb. 16: #1 Penn State at #13 Illinois

  • Time: 2 p.m. ET
  • Venue: State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Friday, Feb. 21: American at #1 Penn State

  • Time: 7 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Rec Hall, University Park, Pa.
  • Tickets: Vivid Seats | StubHub | SeatGeek
  • Flights/hotels: Expedia | Travelocity | Booking.com | Hotels.com
  • TV channel: N/A
  • Live streaming: BTN+

Saturday-Sunday, March 8-9: Penn State at Big Ten Championships

Thursday-Saturday, March 20-22: Penn State at NCAA Championships

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