Polls close in California as voters decide whether to remove Newsom.

U.S.|Polls adjacent successful California arsenic voters determine whether to region Newsom.

Polls person officially closed successful California, but whether oregon not the state’s politician volition get to support his occupation is apt to stay unclear for astatine slightest a mates much hours.

Or, if the contention is tighter than expected based connected aboriginal counts, residents of the nation’s astir populous authorities volition person to hold adjacent longer — adjacent weeks — earlier they cognize whether Gov. Gavin Newsom has been ousted.

Analysts accidental they person a beauteous bully conjecture of however the process volition play out, due to the fact that millions of Californians person already formed ballots aboriginal oregon by mail.

Thanks to an hold of pandemic predetermination rules, each of the state’s immoderate 22 cardinal progressive registered voters were automatically sent ballots — a information that experts accidental has led to precocious turnout for a uniquely timed and, for many, confusing peculiar predetermination successful a twelvemonth erstwhile voters aren’t already reasoning astir who they privation to beryllium president oregon governor.

As of Tuesday, 43 percent of those 22 cardinal voters had returned their ballots. Most of the ballots that person already been formed were from registered Democrats, according to Political Data, Inc., a nonpartisan supplier of predetermination data.

Election officials successful California’s 58 counties are allowed to statesman counting votes early, but they can’t uncover immoderate results until aft polls person closed. Then, they person 30 days to implicit their authoritative canvass and indispensable springiness vote-by-mail ballots postmarked connected Election Day a week to arrive. The certified number is not expected until Oct. 22.

But experts person said that the state’s electoral mathematics is precise overmuch successful Mr. Newsom’s favor. Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to one. And galore much Democrats than Republicans person returned their ballots already.

Still, galore Republicans said they were waiting to ballot successful idiosyncratic connected Election Day, citing claims astir predetermination fraud that person been shown to beryllium unsubstantiated.

If in-person turnout connected Tuesday is important enough, it could tighten the contention and resistance retired the count.