Caruso led on election day by 51% to 49%. That lead disappeared when mail-in votes were counted. The ballots skewed dramatically towards Bass at a consistent rate of 60-40. A split like that might be expected in a purple area because Republicans are known to prefer in-person voting. But this is a puzzling trend in a deep blue city where the vast majority of voters are Democrats. Some people are chalking this up to the city's attempt to be more inclusive by loosening the rules so more people can vote.