California voters will finish casting ballots at 8 p.m. Pacific Tuesday, but the state's reliance on mail‑in voting means final tallies could stretch into the week. Each envelope requires signature verification, envelope opening and data entry, a process that slows counting compared with in‑person polling. Early results will appear within two hours, but they will be incomplete.

Election officials expect a surge of envelopes submitted on Election Day, many from voters waiting on the governor's race. Those late submissions must pass the same labor‑intensive checks, leaving millions of ballots uncounted for days. Tracking data shows Republicans filed their mail votes earlier, giving Republican front‑runner Steve Hilton a provisional lead, while Democrats Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer trail.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2025 law mandates counties to post results within 13 days, yet it provided no extra funding for staff or equipment. Lawmakers and the California Voter Foundation urge additional resources to speed processing and curb misinformation. The deadline will force counties to finish the count before the typical multi‑week lag seen in past contests.