CHAOS - LA Mayor's Race Takes Turn After Video from Ballot Counting Facility LEAKS
Los Angeles, California - June 5, 2026
Slow Ballot Counting Continues in Los Angeles County as Hundreds of Thousands of Votes Remain Unprocessed
Los Angeles County election officials reported that only 77,521 additional ballots had been processed since the June 2 primary election as of Wednesday night. An estimated 713,180 ballots remain unprocessed, according to county announcements. The pace of counting has drawn scrutiny as several races, including the Los Angeles mayoral contest, remain unresolved.
Reporters from the New York Post visited the county’s 144,000-square-foot ballot processing facility on Thursday and observed numerous vacant workstations. Rows of empty chairs were visible in multiple sections of the warehouse. In one area where election workers review ballots that scanners cannot automatically process, approximately 25 bins of ballots sat ready, but no employees were seated at nearby desks.
In a separate section where workers prepare ballots for counting and open envelopes, roughly 75 employees were present, although the space appeared capable of accommodating more than twice that number. When asked about the empty workstations despite the large backlog, one election center staff member told the reporters not to be “fooled by what you see” but offered no further explanation.
Calls for Accelerated Counting
Steve Hilton, a frontrunner in the California gubernatorial race, stated Thursday that he would urge Governor Gavin Newsom to establish an Emergency Election Count Accelerator Corps. The proposed initiative would mobilize additional state personnel and rapid response teams to assist counties facing significant backlogs, while adhering to existing election laws and security procedures.
“California is the laughing stock of the nation when it comes to election reporting. We are the fourth-largest economy in the world, home to Silicon Valley and some of the most advanced technology on earth, yet government bureaucrats need a month to count fewer than 10 million ballots,” Hilton said.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office operates with a budget of nearly $336 million annually and maintains more than 1,100 budgeted positions. Dean Logan, who heads the department, earns an annual salary of $448,179 according to county records. Los Angeles County has more than 5.8 million registered voters.
Statements from Political Figures
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social criticizing the pace of counting in California. He accused Democrats of attempting to influence the outcomes of the governor’s primary and the Los Angeles mayoral primary through late and large numbers of mail-in ballots.
Newsom’s office responded on X by sharing an explainer video from CNN and stating that there is misinformation about California’s election process. The post added, “And yes, for the record: we wish the votes were counted faster, too.”
Comparison to Other States
Several other states that held elections on the same day have completed or nearly completed their counts. New Jersey has reported approximately 93 percent of ballots counted, while New Mexico and Montana are approaching 98 percent.
Los Angeles County officials have indicated that another update on ballot processing is expected Thursday evening. With more than 700,000 ballots still outstanding, experts have stated that it could take additional weeks before final results are known in several closely contested races, including the mayoral contest where no candidate reached the threshold for an outright win.
The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office has not yet provided detailed responses to questions about current staffing levels for ballot processing or plans to address vacancies at workstations.
Kenny Rogers Spent Four Days Losing Faith in a Song. Dolly Parton Changed It in Forty Minutes.
Kenny Rogers had been singing the same song for four days.
Finally, he told producer Barry Gibb he didn’t even like it anymore.
Gibb’s answer was immediate: they needed Dolly Parton.
Then Rogers’s manager mentioned he had just seen her downstairs.
The person who could change the recording was already nearby.
Parton joined him, and the song acquired something Rogers hadn’t found singing alone. He later recalled that within forty minutes, it had taken on a completely different personality.
That song was “Islands in the Stream.”
Listen to how their voices meet. Rogers brings that warm, weathered calm; Parton adds brightness and lift. When they reach the chorus together, the recording opens up.
Their chemistry made the duet sound inevitable.
Its creation had been anything but.
Released in 1983, it reached No. 1 on both the American pop and country charts. The collaboration also began a close friendship that lasted for decades.
Rogers remembered Parton lighting up the song. What had become exhausting work turned into the beginning of a musical partnership.
Before her arrival, he had spent four days trying to make the recording work.
Afterward, millions would find it difficult to imagine either voice singing it alone.
The Anthem That Ruled the '70s: Linda Ronstadt's Journey to Pop-Rock Royalty
The Linda Ronstadt Hit That Redefined Women in Rock
Released in late 1974, Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good” became the breakthrough that transformed her into one of America’s biggest rock stars. Originally written by Clint Ballard Jr. and previously recorded by Dee Dee Warwick and Betty Everett, the song found its definitive voice when producer Peter Asher helped Ronstadt reinvent it with a bold rock arrangement. Powered by a brooding bassline, sweeping strings, and Andrew Gold’s unforgettable guitar solo, the single climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1975, becoming Ronstadt’s first chart-topping hit and launching her landmark album Heart Like a Wheel.
Ronstadt’s commanding vocal balanced heartbreak, defiance, and liberation with remarkable intensity. Her emotionally charged performance helped break new ground for female artists in rock, proving they could lead with both vulnerability and strength while commanding mainstream radio.
Video Here
Strength in Separation: The 1974 Masterpiece That Redefined the Breakup Song
Released in 1974, this ballad wasn't a tearful breakdown, but rather the quietest, most resilient goodbye ever recorded.
Released in 1974, Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” arrived at a defining moment when the singer was ready to forge her own musical destiny.
It wasn’t simply another country single; it felt like a turning point where profound gratitude, inner conflict, and a fierce desire for independence all collided into something sharper and incredibly tender.
From the very first acoustic guitar strum—stark, slow, and unadorned—the song sets a tone that feels both mournful and resolute, as if the singer is holding back a heavy sigh.
That quiet tension became the heartbeat of the track, pulling listeners into a space where love isn't about possession, but rather the graceful act of letting go.
At its core, “I Will Always Love You” is about the quiet courage it takes to walk away.
Unlike typical tear-soaked country ballads of the era, the track is a promise, an acknowledgment that even though paths must diverge, the deep appreciation for the other person will never fade.
Written by Parton as a professional and personal farewell to her longtime mentor and duet partner, Porter Wagoner, the track carries a fragility that reflects the heavy toll of choosing between loyalty and her own artistic evolution.
That evolution is unmistakable here, with stripped-down production that steps back to let raw emotional honesty take center stage.
Parton’s vocal performance plays a crucial role. Her voice doesn’t explode with rage or theatrical agony; instead, it trembles gently while maintaining a remarkable composure, letting the heartbreak bleed through line by line.
“If I should stay
I would only be in your way
So I'll go, but I know
I'll think of you each step of the way”
As the chorus arrives, it doesn’t offer a dramatic climax so much as it deepens the sense of acceptance. The phrase “I will always love you” becomes less of a romantic cliché and more of a heavy, heartfelt blessing.
Musically, the restraint of the instrumentation creates an expansive, lonely atmosphere, leaving Parton’s delicate soprano suspended in the memories of what was.
That masterful storytelling cemented Parton not just as a stellar vocalist, but as one of the greatest songwriters of her generation. When the single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, it confirmed that absolute vulnerability resonated deeply with a wide audience.
Yet beyond its chart success, the song carried a mood that felt deeply personal.
It spoke to listeners who understood the agonizing difficulty of leaving something beautiful behind in order to move forward.
Decades later, even as the world rightfully marvels at Whitney Houston’s powerhouse R&B rendition, Parton’s acoustic original retains its pure, devastating core. It reminds us of those quiet, sleepless nights when we realize that the ultimate act of love is sometimes simply setting someone free.
As the final notes fade, the song doesn’t leave behind regret, but rather a quiet peace.
“I Will Always Love You” lingers not because it offers a tidy resolution, but because it captures a fleeting moment of profound maturity.
In the end, Dolly didn’t just write a hit—she built a monument to the most beautiful kind of heartbreak, and its quiet echo continues to resonate through time.
