CHAOS - LA Mayor's Race Takes Turn After Video from Ballot Counting Facility LEAKS
Los Angeles, California - June 17, 2026
Los Angeles Ballot Processing Facility Shows Empty Workstations Amid Large Backlog
A visit to the Los Angeles County ballot processing facility revealed numerous vacant workstations and understaffed areas at a time when hundreds of thousands of ballots remained unprocessed following the June 2 primary. The 144,000-square-foot center handles a significant volume of mail ballots for one of the largest voter rolls in the country.
Conditions Observed at the Facility
Reporters observed dozens of empty chairs and workstations across multiple sections. In an area designated for manual review of ballots that scanners could not process, approximately 25 bins of ballots sat ready while no employees were present at nearby desks.
In another section responsible for opening envelopes and preparing ballots, roughly 75 workers were active, although the space could accommodate more than twice that number.
County officials announced Wednesday that 77,521 additional ballots had been processed since election night. An estimated 713,180 ballots remained outstanding at that time.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office operates with an annual budget of approximately $336 million and manages more than 1,100 budgeted positions. Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan oversees the department and earns $448,179 annually.
When asked about the appearance of understaffing despite the backlog, one election center staff member told reporters not to be “fooled by what you see” but offered no further explanation.
Political Reactions and Proposals
California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton called for the creation of an Emergency Election Count Accelerator Corps to provide additional personnel and resources to counties facing ballot-counting backlogs. He criticized the pace of results in the state.
“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 stated that any acceleration effort would comply with existing election laws and security procedures.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social about the counting process.
“The Dumocrats are at it again! They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS.”
Official Response
The office of Governor Gavin Newsom responded that there is misinformation circulating about California’s election process and shared an explainer video from CNN. The statement added that officials also wish the votes were counted faster.
Context and Comparisons
Los Angeles County has more than 5.8 million registered voters. Several other states that held elections on the same day have reported much higher percentages of ballots counted.
New Jersey has reported roughly 93 percent, while New Mexico and Montana are approaching 98 percent.
The next update on Los Angeles County ballot counts is expected Thursday evening. With more than 700,000 ballots still outstanding, officials and observers have indicated that it could take weeks before final results are known in some races, including the Los Angeles mayoral contest and the gubernatorial primary.
The observations at the processing facility have added to ongoing scrutiny of election administration in California’s largest county and have prompted calls for faster processing while maintaining required verification procedures.
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.
