California Vote Count Affects Congressional Races

Votes continue to be counted in California two weeks post-election, with Democrat Derek Tran narrowly leading Republican Rep. Michelle Steel by 102 votes in the 45th Congressional District amid an estimated 620,000 unprocessed ballots statewide. The election has seen historically low voter turnout, with only 71.3% of registered voters participating, a significant drop from 2020. In the 13th Congressional District, Republican incumbent John Duarte holds a slim lead over Democrat Adam Gray by about 2,000 votes, with 28,000 votes still to be counted. California's slow vote counting process is attributed to its all-mail voting policy, which was established to enhance voter access. Both Tran and Gray's races could potentially flip Republican seats to Democrats, impacting the House majority, currently held by Republicans at 218 to 212. The outcome of these races, along with several close local elections, remains uncertain as additional ballots are processed.