Counting

• Major tech companies, including Microsoft, Meta, and Oracle, have cut a combined 120,000 jobs in 2026, citing the integration of AI as a primary driver. • Specific examples include Oracle, which linked workforce reductions to AI deployment, and GitLab, which cut 350 employees (14% of staff) on June 3. • These layoffs highlight a broader industry shift where companies are prioritizing AI infrastructure funding and workflow management over traditional human labor.

• The Supreme Court ruled that state laws, rather than federal statutes, determine the deadlines for when mail-in ballots must be received and counted. • The decision follows a challenge by Republicans who argued that federal law required all ballots to be counted by Election Day instead of allowing a multi-day grace period. • The ruling is significant as it preserves the ability of various states to extend counting deadlines, potentially impacting the finality of midterm election results.

• In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court rejected a GOP challenge regarding post-Election Day ballot receipt deadlines. • Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's liberal wing to uphold the practice of counting mail-in ballots received after the deadline, provided they were postmarked on time. • This decision preserves existing voting rules in Mississippi and other jurisdictions, ensuring that legitimate mail-in votes are not discarded due to delivery delays.

Progressive and former reality TV star have been battling for the number two spot to face off against Karen BassNithya Raman, the progressive Los Angeles city councillor, appeared to be edging out Spencer Pratt in the LA mayoral race challenging Karen Bass as Donald Trump continues to repeat falsehoods that California elections are “rigged”.The pair have been battling for the number two spot to face off against the incumbent, who already secured enough votes to advance to a runoff in November. Pratt, a former reality TV star, held a lead over Raman for days, but as ballot processing from last week’s election continued, the city councillor has pulled ahead. Continue reading...

Experts warn primary vote-counting could go on for days in governor’s race, LA mayoral race and congressional racesThree days after Californians headed to the polls, key races in the primary election remained too close to call and experts warned the counting could continue for days.In the governor’s race, the British-born conservative pundit Steve Hilton was narrowly leading with an estimated 60% of ballots counted by Friday morning. Xavier Becerra, a former US health and human services secretary under Joe Biden, followed closely behind, and billionaire Tom Steyer trailed behind the pair. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November. Continue reading...

State election officials continue to sift through uncounted primary ballots, which could take days or even weeksThe California governor’s race remained unsettled Thursday, as state election officials continued to sift through uncounted primary ballots – a process that could take days or even weeks as voters eagerly await the results.Polls indicated that British-born conservative pundit Steve Hilton was narrowly leading the race, followed by former US human services and health secretary Xavier Becerra. Billionaire Tom Steyer trailed behind the pair. Under California’s primary system, the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election. Continue reading...

Experts say deluge of last-minute absentee ballots and notoriously slow system could delay results in tightest racesCalifornia’s primary elections, including its fiercely fought gubernatorial contest, will be at the mercy of a notoriously slow vote-counting system after the polls close on Tuesday, and it could be days or even weeks before the outcomes of the tightest races become clear.Voting experts expect the state’s 58 county elections offices to be deluged with last-minute absentee ballots, as they have been in the last few election cycles, and spend weeks undertaking a painstaking ballot-by-ballot verification process. Continue reading...