California Election Counting Explained by an Actual Poll Worker
From The Backup Wrap-Up by W. Curtis Preston (Mr. Backup)
June 8, 2026 · 25 min
About this episode
W. Curtis Preston explains the complexities of California's election counting process and dispels myths about fraud.
California election counting has confused — and frankly ticked off — a lot of people, and I get it. I'm W. Curtis Preston, I've worked every California election since the 2016 presidential primary, and I've managed the polls at multiple elections here in San Diego County. This episode, I'm going solo to explain exactly what's going on, why it takes so long, what the "red mirage" actually is, and why none of it is fraud. Sorry to disappoint some of you. If you've ever had a family member call you asking "what the hell is going on over there?" — this one's for you. I walk through the specific changes California made to election law, how our system compares to Florida's, why human nature is a big part of the problem, and what the chain of custody for every single ballot actually looks like from the inside. This isn't punditry. This is someone who has stood at those poll books, sealed those ballot cartons, and escorted those ballots to the DART team. Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction: What the hell is going on in California? 1:23 – Who I am and why I can speak to this 2:12 – How California election law changed six years ago 4:43 – The mail ballot window: postmark by 8 PM, received within…
People in this episode
Host: W. Curtis Preston
Topics covered
- California election counting
- poll worker experience
- election law changes
- red mirage
- ballot chain of custody
- voter behavior
Keywords
- California elections
- poll worker
- election law
- red mirage
- ballot verification
- voter turnout
- mail ballots
Mentioned in this episode
Places: California, Florida, San Diego County
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