California’s delayed announcement of its U.S. presidential election results, even 19 days after polling, has drawn criticism from billionaire businessman Elon Musk. Musk contrasted the ongoing vote count with India’s efficient handling of its Lok Sabha elections, where 640 million votes were counted in a single day.
India counted 640 million votes in 1 day
Retweeting a post highlighting India’s rapid vote-counting process, Musk remarked, “India counted 640 million votes in 1 day. California is still counting votes,” accompanied by a facepalm emoji to express his frustration.
While 98% of the votes in California have been counted, the official results remain pending. However, the Associated Press has already called the race for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who secured 58.6% of the vote against Republican candidate Donald Trump’s 38.2%. California, the most populous U.S. state, is home to nearly 39 million residents, with over 16 million casting their votes in the November 5 election.
Elon Musk hailing India’s electoral system
California’s election process is primarily conducted via mail, which inherently requires more time for verification and processing compared to in-person voting. Each mail-in ballot undergoes individual validation to ensure accuracy, a process that is more meticulous than scanning ballots at polling stations. Additionally, the state allows voters until December 1 to address issues with their ballots—such as missing signatures, incorrect placement of signatures, or improper envelope usage—before the results are finalized.
Elon Musk appointed head of Department of Government Efficiency
Meanwhile, Donald Trump achieved a historic comeback in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, defeating Kamala Harris. In a significant development, Elon Musk has been appointed as the head of a newly formed “Department of Government Efficiency” under Trump’s administration.
The SpaceX CEO’s comment on India’s electoral system came just a day after vote counting for Maharashtra and Jharkhand state assembly elections and by-elections concluded on Saturday.
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