Election law expert Hans von Spakovsky says California's slow vote counting stems from mass mail voting, a seven-day ballot window, and cure periods.

Spencer Pratt, a Republican running for the role, showed early strength, but Nithya Raman, a progressive city councilwoman, made a substantial leap in Friday’s returns.

In the closely watched governor's race, Republican Steve Hilton leads Democrat Xavier Becerra by one percentage point, with Tom Steyer, also a Democrat, trailing Becerra by six points.