DOJ Official Debunks 0-Vote LA Mayoral Claim as AP Cites 1-Minute Update Lag
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jun 6
DOJ Official Debunks 0-Vote LA Mayoral Claim as AP Cites 1-Minute Update Lag
2 articles · Updated · CNN · Jun 6
Summary
Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, said county records show every candidate received votes in each election-night update, rejecting social media claims that Spencer Pratt got zero new votes.
A 1-minute AP reporting lag caused the misleading snapshot: Pratt’s votes were posted in a second automated batch, and the combined updates added 21,870 votes for Pratt, 12,850 for Karen Bass and 9,521 for Nithya Raman.
The false claim spread on X through right-wing accounts including Elon Musk, while Trump separately alleged without evidence that Los Angeles’ slow count signaled Democratic cheating.
Tuesday’s nonpartisan primary remains unresolved for second place: CNN projects Bass will reach November, but it has not called whether Pratt or Raman will face her as ballots are still being processed.
California counts slowly because large numbers of mail ballots arrive on Election Day and can be received up to 7 days later if postmarked by Election Day, with verification required before counting.