California officials say counting election ballots can take weeks because ballots are received, processed, verified, and tabulated in stages rather than all at once. Multiple outlets report that mail-in voting is a key factor: ballots arrive over a period of time, and election workers continue processing them as they are received. Officials also implement security and accuracy procedures, including checks to confirm ballot validity and ensure results are reliably tabulated. CBS News adds that security measures and the verification steps can slow progress, especially in close races where additional scrutiny may be required to confirm totals. The reports also note that late-arriving or last-minute voters—particularly in statewide contests such as the governor’s race—can contribute to further delays, because votes must still go through the same verification and counting workflow. Overall, election experts and officials describe the process as systematic and designed to protect election integrity, with final results dependent on how quickly remaining ballots are received and cleared for counting.