The LA Mayor’s Race Is a Warning for All of America

By The Honorable Mike Garcia

What happened in Los Angeles last month was a flashing warning light for the rest of America.

On election night, Spencer Pratt appeared headed for a run-off against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, and the Democrat Socialist mayoral candidate, Nithya Raman, appeared headed for defeat. But as thousands of additional ballots flowed in days later, the race looked completely different.

Whether your candidate won or lost isn’t really the point.

What we’re asking now is: Why does California keep asking voters to wait days, and sometimes weeks, for answers after Election Day?

Americans expect clarity and transparency from their leaders. But above all, they expect confidence that election rules are applied fairly and consistently.

Instead, California has normalized uncertainty, creating resentment and cynicism among millions of Californians for decades.

I didn’t get cheated.

You did. pic.twitter.com/ihDoZeEh9J

— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) July 9, 2026

RELATED: ‘It’s War’: Spencer Pratt Says Campaign Is Over, but LA’s Corrupt Machine Is Now in His Crosshairs

The California System That Locked Out Republicans Is Suddenly ‘Unfair’ to Dems

As a former Congressman representing California, I’ve watched our election system drift further away from the commonsense standards that most Americans support. 

Like every patriotic American, I believe all legal votes should be counted. But I also believe voters deserve to know that every ballot was cast by a citizen, handled securely, counted once, and reported promptly.

That’s where California continues to fail.

The state automatically mails a ballot to every registered voter, whether one was requested or not. This creates an open door for fraud.

Like every state, California’s voter rolls require constant maintenance to account for deaths, relocations, and registration changes. Yet California struggles to keep those rolls as accurate and up to date as voters deserve. Another open door.

California’s election system also relies on signature matching as its primary safeguard for mail-in ballots.

There’s just one problem: Very few ballots are subjected to meaningful signature verification. If signatures are the state’s primary security measure, voters have every right to ask whether that security measure is being used. A third open door.

California’s permissive ballot harvesting laws have also fueled legitimate questions about chain-of-custody protections and whether ballots are always being returned by the voters who cast them. A fourth open door.

Whether those concerns prove justified or not, they undermine something every democracy depends on: public confidence.

Fortunately, there is a better way.

Thirty-six states already require some form of voter identification because their leaders understand that confidence begins with knowing the person casting the ballot is who they claim to be.

Today, California remains one of the few states that do not require voter identification at the polls. In fact, state law expressly prohibits cities and counties from requiring voters to show ID before casting a ballot, even if local communities want that safeguard.

When it comes to mail-in voting, states like Georgia, Minnesota, and Ohio require voters casting absentee ballots to verify their identity using objective information like a driver’s license number, voter identification number, or the last four digits of a Social Security number.

Critics predicted these reforms would discourage participation, but the opposite happened.

After Georgia strengthened its election laws in 2021, the state went on to post record voter turnout. Secure elections and strong voter participation are not competing goals. They reinforce one another.

Most Americans already understand that.

Polling conducted for the America First Policy Institute found that 82 percent of voters support requiring government-issued identification to vote, while 76 percent support replacing signature matching with more reliable methods of verifying identity for mail-in ballots.

That’s why President Trump’s call for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act has resonated with so many Americans. The proposal would require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, reinforcing the simple principle that election integrity begins with ensuring only eligible citizens cast ballots.

Americans routinely show identification to board an airplane, open a bank account, pick up prescription medication, or purchase alcohol. Protecting the integrity of our elections deserves at least the same level of care.

It’s no coincidence that California voters will have an opportunity this November to consider a statewide voter identification initiative. The conversation is no longer confined to Washington or state legislatures. It’s now before the people themselves.

ALSO SEE: FINALLY! Voter ID May Be on the Ballot Statewide in California in 2026

What’s Up With California’s Vote Counting?

California should establish firm deadlines for mail-in ballots. Ballots should be postmarked at least seven days before Election Day, with appropriate accommodations for military personnel serving overseas. Every important responsibility in life has a deadline. Elections should too.

Most importantly, California’s leaders must prioritize voter confidence.

Election integrity is about preserving the public’s faith that every legal vote counts exactly once and that every lawful voter can trust the outcome.

Self-government only works when citizens trust the system that produces their leaders.

There are several ways to restore that trust: Require voter identification for every method of voting. Maintain accurate voter rolls. Strengthen chain-of-custody protections. Establish clear deadlines for mail ballots. Improve transparency. Deliver results efficiently.

None of these reforms are extreme. Most are already standard practice across much of the country. The reluctance by California leaders to adopt these reforms is suspicious at best and criminal at worst.

The Golden State can lead the Nation again, but only if its leaders are willing to restore confidence in the process.

In other words, make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.

Mike Garcia is a first-generation American, a decorated Navy combat veteran, a former Congressman representing California’s 27th District, and serves on the Board of America First Works.

Editor’s Note: Republicans are fighting for election integrity by requiring proper identification to vote.

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