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Live primary election results tonight: LA city controller
More about this race
About the live results
We'll get our first results shortly after the polls close at 8 p.m. tonight.
Looking for our voter guides? Check out the candidates for L.A. city controller and more L.A. County guides ▶
The incumbent, Kenneth Mejia, made headlines recently when he called out the city for allowing nearly a half-billion dollars earmarked for programs and services for unhoused people to go unspent. He is being challenged in the race by Zach Sokoloff, an asset manager.
Whoever wins this seat could have a big new responsibility: auditing the LAPD, the city’s largest and most expensive department.
What it takes to win
If a contender gets more than 50% of the votes, he will win outright. If that doesn’t happen (for example, if a write-in campaign attracts significant support), a runoff will be held in the November general election.
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What’s at stake in this race
The controller’s job is all about reviewing the way the city spends money.
But make no mistake: this is not a routine bookkeeping role. Think of the city controller more as a watchdog.
If you’re concerned about corruption in City Hall, this is a race — and an office — you’ll want to pay close attention to.
And the winner of this seat could have a big new responsibility: auditing the LAPD, the city’s largest and most expensive department.
Why this race matters
Controllers are expected to audit every department in City Hall, and they have the authority to do so. But how they go about it and what they draw attention to is largely up to the officeholder, so individual candidates’ campaigns and statements might give you a clue as to their approaches and priorities.
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The next controller will be managing the city’s accounting during the 2028 Olympics, which had a $7.1 billion projected budget as of earlier this year.
The Olympics are intended to be "no cost" for Los Angeles taxpayers — but the city's financial exposure is unlimited. The city and the state of California are the financial guarantors for the Olympics, meaning if the Games go into the red, L.A. taxpayers will pick up the tab. For example, city taxpayers are on the hook for the first $270 million in losses, if they occur. The California Legislature has agreed to make statewide taxpayers pick up the next $270 million. After that, any additional financial burden will fall back on Los Angeles taxpayers.
Campaign finance
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About the vote count
For LAist's charts showing vote counts, we get numbers directly from the L.A. County and Orange County registrars of voters for local races. Totals are updated on our site as soon as possible after the registrars provide new tallies. For statewide races, counts come from the California Secretary of State's Office.
Keep in mind that, in tight races particularly, the winner may not be determined for days or weeks after election day. That's because early voting and mail-in ballots have fundamentally reshaped how votes are counted and when election results are known. In L.A. County, for example, updates on the counting are expected to continue through June 26. After the polls close on election night, expect updates every 15 minutes or so through the early morning hours Wednesday. After that, expect updated counts around 5 p.m. on the following days: June 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 24 and 26. Final results must be certified by July 10.
Our priority during the vote count will be sharing outcomes and election calls only when they have been thoroughly checked and vetted by journalists. To that end, we will report when candidates concede and otherwise rely on NPR and the Associated Press for race calls (before official results). We will not report the calls or projections of other news outlets. You can find more about NPR's and the AP's process for counting votes and calling races here, here and here.
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Tracking your ballot
You can track the status of your ballot through California's BallotTrax website.
If your mail-in ballot has any problems (like a missing or mismatched signature), your county registrar must contact you to give you a chance to fix it.
Official results
The California Secretary of State's Office is required to certify the final vote tallies by July 10, marking the official end of the 2026 primary election.
LAist's Voter Game Plan will be back in the fall to help you prepare for the Nov. 3 general election.
Ask us a question
What questions do you have about this election?
You ask, and we'll answer: Whether it's about who's funding the campaigns or how to track your ballot, we're here to help you understand the 2026 election