Oct. 8, 2026 3 AM PT

Ballots for November’s midterm elections have already begun arriving in mailboxes across Los Angeles County. But before Angelenos have the chance to fill them out and send them back, many will have heard rumors from neighbors and colleagues that their votes won’t matter, that the count can’t be trusted or that an outcome they disagree with means the system has failed.

We are watching a campaign of mistrust take shape around our elections, locally and nationwide, in which false and misleading claims are repeated until doubt itself becomes the lasting message. We saw it after Los Angeles’ mayoral primary in June, when a routine reporting issue of votes counted in the race was transformed online into false claims of election fraud.

When people are repeatedly told that elections are rigged or that ballots can disappear, confidence erodes. Many voters may choose not to participate at all. We can disagree on candidates, parties or policies, but we cannot allow mistrust to suppress the voices of Angelenos. Trust in our election system is a cornerstone of our democracy, which depends on the confidence that eligible voters can cast their ballot, that lawful ballots will be counted and that the public can understand how the process works.

We know how quickly trust can disappear and how difficult it is to rebuild. That’s why this moment calls for facts.

When a vote-by-mail ballot is returned to the county elections office, officials then verify the signature against the voter’s record. If a signature is missing or cannot be matched to a voter in L.A. County, the voter is notified and has until 5 p.m. Nov. 25 to resolve the ballot.

The final count can take longer than many people expect because California has made voting much more accessible. Every active registered voter receives a mail-in ballot. Those mailed and postmarked by election day can arrive through Nov. 10 and still be counted in the final tally. Eligible first-time voters can also register at the polls through election day and cast a conditional ballot.

These protections and a lengthier vote count are designed to give more eligible California voters a chance to be heard. But with more than a million ballots arriving on election day, it takes time to receive and verify them all. Los Angeles County is expected to certify its results by Nov. 27, well ahead of the Dec. 3 deadline for California counties and of the state’s Dec. 11 certification of the final statewide vote.

Results can change often after election night as thousands of lawful ballots are collected and tallied. That is the process working to make sure eligible voters are counted, but it is also when the most misinformation starts to spread. An incomplete count can be portrayed as suspicious, and a routine update can be presented as manipulation.

That is where all of us come in. Misinformation moves through family group chats, workplaces, congregations, social media and neighborhood conversations. Official statements matter, but the most persuasive voice is usually someone a voter knows and trusts. When a friend claims that their ballot won’t count, help them understand the facts. When a neighbor shares a rumor, ask where it came from and point them to verified information and sources. When someone says there is no reason to vote, remind them that walking away from the process only gives the mistrust in our systems more power.

The California Community Foundation is helping launch “A Count You Can Trust,” an independent, nonpartisan coalition not affiliated with any candidate, political party or campaign. It brings together civic, faith, labor, business and community organizations across Los Angeles County to help share accurate information, combat misinformation and explain how votes are counted. The coalition will also observe the election process and document what works and what should be improved for future elections, rather than expecting changes to rules or procedures in real time.

We are starting the conversation before ballots are submitted because the time to build trust is before it is tested. The stakes are higher than any one election. Democracy cannot work if people are convinced that their participation is pointless or that an outcome they dislike is automatically illegitimate. We can disagree passionately about who should win, but we should be united in defending the right of all eligible voters to participate and in making sure lawful votes are counted.

This fall, vote. Help someone else vote. Share facts instead of rumors. And when the count continues after election day, remember why: Democracy is worth taking the time to get right.

Antonio Villaraigosa served as the 41st mayor of Los Angeles and speaker of the California Assembly. Miguel A. Santana is president and chief executive of the California Community Foundation.

L.A. Times Insights delivers AI-generated analysis on Voices content to offer all points of view. Insights does not appear on any news articles.