California primary 2026: How long before we know the election results?

The 2026 California primary election is here, but how long will it take until we know who advances to the general election?

Voters across California will cast their ballots in federal races and major statewide offices — including governor.

Here’s what to know about how long it will take to count the votes.:

When is Election Day?

The 2026 primary election is on Tuesday.

When can I vote?

California voters can begin returning their ballots at an early voting site.

While operating hours at early voting sites vary by county, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day — Tuesday.

“No voters who arrive after the polls close may cast votes,” according to the California Secretary of State website.

However, voters in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote or drop off a vote-by-mail ballot, the California Secretary of State’s Office said. But those who arrive after the polls close are not allowed to vote, even if people who were already in line are still voting.

At 8 p.m., county elections officials will begin tallying the results.

When will we know the election results?

California has in excess of 23 million registered voters — more than any other state, the California Secretary of State’s Office said.

“Ensuring that all votes cast by eligible voters are accurately processed and counted takes time,” officials said.

County election officials begin tallying the votes once the polls close and report results to the state starting two hours later. These reports continue until all votes are counted.

Vote-by-mail ballots and early voting ballots normally are counted first, possibly even before election day, but the results cannot be reported until after the polls close, officials said.

Semi-official results posted Tuesday night will include those ballots and at least some ballots cast at polling places Tuesday.

“The complete tally of votes is never finished on Election Night as vote-by-mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day and received within seven days after the election, as well as any provisional ballots cast, must still be counted,” officials said.

By law, county elections offices have up to 30 days to canvass the election results and count all eligible votes.

News reports may “call” elections and candidates may even concede, but election results are not final until the statewide vote has been certified 38 days after the election.

In years past, it has taken up to several days to find out even the semi-official winners in closely contested races.

On Thursday, county election offices will notify the state of how many uncounted ballots remain.

Who counts ballots in California?

County elections offices handle the printing, mailing, verifying and counting of ballots.

The California Secretary of State’s Office does not process ballots, but does receive tallies from the state’s 58 counties and reports the statewide results.

When are vote-by-mail ballots counted?

State law allows vote-by-mail ballots to be opened and counted up to 29 days before the election, but those results may not be released until the polls close.

In practice, the California Secretary of State’s Office said most mail-in ballots are counted on election day. Also, many mail-in ballots are dropped off at polling places that day.

Ballots postmarked on or before election day and received up to seven days later also must be counted.

When are provisional ballots counted?

“In California, provisional ballots serve as a fail-safe method of ensuring all voters who show up to the polls can cast a ballot,” the Secretary of State’s Office said.

Provisional ballots are counted after election day and after mail-in ballots are counted because officials must ensure provisional voters are registered and did not cast another ballot.

When are same-day voter registrations processed?

“Same Day voter registration, also known as conditional voter registration, is a safety net for Californians who miss the deadline to register to vote or update their voter registration information for an election,” officials said.

Their ballots are counted once the registrations have been processed.

This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "California primary 2026: How long before we know the election results?."