Justice Department Clarifies Vote Count Confusion in LA Mayoral Race

A Justice Department official has refuted claims circulating on social media regarding a discrepancy in the vote count for the Los Angeles mayoral election. The baseless allegation suggested that Republican candidate Spencer Pratt received no new votes during an election night update. First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed that all candidates received votes in each update, and the apparent zero votes for Pratt were due to a delay in reporting. The official count showed Pratt with 21,870 votes, while incumbent Mayor Karen Bass had 12,850 and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman received 9,521. The situation highlights ongoing concerns about election integrity, particularly as the Trump administration continues to propagate unfounded claims of fraud.

Key Details: • Spencer Pratt received 21,870 votes, Karen Bass 12,850, and Nithya Raman 9,521. • Vote counts can be delayed due to the processing of mail ballots, which are accepted up to 7 days post-election. • The Justice Department is monitoring the situation amid ongoing allegations of election fraud.