What is the ‘red mirage?’

If in early returns tonight you see Republicans faring better than expected in California races, you might be experiencing the ‘red mirage.’

It happens in close races in almost every major election, CalMatters’ Ryan Sabalow reports. Then, as more votes are counted over the following days, the Democratic candidates start to pull ahead.

It’s a phenomenon that President Donald Trump and his supporters have used to accuse California Democrats of rigging elections. But in reality, Sabalow reports, it could be because Republicans turned in their ballots earlier than Democrats. That’s what happened in the June Los Angeles mayor’s race, on a ballot with an especially crowded field of Democratic gubernatorial candidates. Faced with so many choices, Democrats waited an extra long time to turn in their ballots.

And that could very well happen again this election with some of the races on the ballot.

– Marisa Kendall