Mail ballot mirages aren’t fraud, but mail ballot fraud isn’t a complete myth

The Conversation reports on California's primary and the 'red mirage' that sparked rigging claims. In a primary where only the top two candidates advance, early results showed Republican Steve Hilton leading for governor and Spencer Pratt among the top two for Los Angeles mayor. But with four out of five voters casting ballots by mail, the final count looked different. Hilton narrowly held second place; Pratt fell to third and was eliminated. Donald Trump declared it 'rigged elections,' but election experts offer a simpler explanation: Democrats vote more by mail, Republicans more in person. Mail ballots count after in-person votes, so early results and final results can shift dramatically. But the article cautions against dismissing all concerns. While these mirages aren't fraud, mail-ballot elections carry genuine vulnerabilities—ballot harvesting can enable social pressure, and past elections have documented mail-ballot fraud. Mirages and fraud are separate questions, and both warrant scrutiny.

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