Some people have questioned why it takes so much longer in California to certify votes, when some other states were able to call all races the same night. The simple answer is that California has made it incredibly easy to vote. Every registered voter gets a mail in ballot sent to them, and it doesn’t even have to arrive by Election Day, as long as it’s postmarked by Election Day. In some states like Florida, you need to request an absentee ballot and if it doesn’t arrive to the facility by the close of polls it doesn’t count. Sacramento County Spokesperson Janna Haynes said it’s time for the voter’s mindset to change. "We are no longer in an Election Day model," Haynes said. "We are in an election month, or even six to eight weeks, because of the time that elapses between when ballots go out and when we have to certify." San Diego County Registrar Cynthia Paes agreed. "Elections are not a one day event anymore," Paes said. "There's multiple days to vote. If you return your ballot even just a week early, it will be in that county election night. So we are encouraging voters to act early." One of the main reasons: mail in ballots. "We have to take several extra steps in order to verify the eligibility of our vote by mail ballots before we can actually count them," Haynes said. "That does take longer, but really, it just means that more people have the opportunity to have their voice heard." MORE: https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/politics/this-is-why-it-takes-so-long-to-certify-votes-in-california/509-fa21d5fd-e802-413a-9a58-b8a0036fa1a9