• Updated

Days after the state's primary, California voters are in a familiar position — waiting to find out which candidates will go on to the general election in their most high-profile races, for governor and Los Angeles mayor. As he has done before, President Donald Trump used the delayed ballot count on Thursday to allege that Democrats were trying to rig the tally and keep two candidates he favors from advancing to the general election. Trump supports Republican Steve Hilton in the governor's race and Spencer Pratt in the nonpartisan race for Los Angeles mayor. His claims prompted a response from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. His press office posted a video explaining how the nation's most populous state prioritizes accuracy and accessibility over speed.

A federal judge has heard from voting rights groups and a coalition of two dozen states that want the courts to halt President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to create a federal voter list and limit who can receive a mail ballot, The plaintiffs argued in two lawsuits that Trump's order should be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. The government argued the cases should be dismissed, arguing it was premature to worry about harm when the voter list had not yet been created. Trump's order is aimed at ensuring that only citizens vote, but instances of noncitizens casting ballots are extremely rare.