In a closely watched race for the Los Angeles mayoral seat, City Council member Nithya Raman has overtaken Spencer Pratt, a reality television star and Republican, according to the latest Associated Press vote count. Although Raman, a Democrat, now leads by more than 3,000 votes, the race remains uncalled as the final tally is still underway.

Ongoing Vote Counting

The mayoral election in Los Angeles is officially nonpartisan, and if no candidate secures a majority in the primary, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, has already secured her place in the runoff as she seeks a second term. The identity of her opponent remains uncertain as the vote count continues.

Los Angeles County is still processing ballots that were postmarked on or before Election Day and received by June 9. The county has until July 2 to complete the official results, which will then be certified by the secretary of state by July 10. This extended counting period is due to California’s election laws, which allow mail ballots to be counted if they arrive up to seven days after Election Day, provided they were postmarked by that date.

Republican Concerns

The Republican National Committee has expressed frustration over the prolonged vote counting process, highlighting it as a point of concern. Spencer Pratt and other Republicans have criticized the extended timeline, attributing it to changes in election laws under Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration. Critics argue that these changes have led to delays in determining election outcomes, which previously took only a day or two.

Despite the criticisms, election officials and experts maintain that the extended counting period is necessary to ensure the integrity of the election process, which includes verifying signatures and processing late-arriving ballots.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.