Does Nithya Raman still have a chance? California's uncounted votes could help Democrats

Key Points:

• Early vote counts in California primaries show Republicans over-performing, but experts predict remaining ballots, particularly vote-by-mail, will lean Democratic and potentially benefit progressive candidates.
• Councilmember Nithya Raman, currently in third place, faces an uphill battle to surpass reality TV personality Spencer Pratt and Mayor Karen Bass for a runoff spot, with experts noting significant ground must be made up.
• GOP candidate Steve Hilton leads the gubernatorial race vote count, capitalizing on dissatisfaction with Democratic politics, but experts believe Democratic candidates Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer still have strong chances to advance.
• Vote-by-mail ballots, which tend to favor Democrats, are expected to increase as more are counted, potentially shifting results in key races, especially given California's strong blue voter base.
• The extended ballot counting period in California, allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by election day to be counted up to seven days later, means final results may take weeks, emphasizing accuracy over speed in the democratic process.