Shasta County election chaos: Hand-counting ban sparks legal showdown

REDDING, Calif. — In barely more than a month, there are elections in Shasta County. And after Governor Newsom signed a ban on hand-counting into law, which takes place immediately, we don't know how those votes will be counted.

In April, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted to reject vote-counting machines, such as the Dominion Voting Systems, and the new law, sets up a probable legal fight.

RELATED |Governor Newsom approves new bill limiting manual ballot counts in California

A demonstration of the hand-counting process was held at the Clerks and Elections Office in Downtown Redding on Thursday. There was also a presentation of legally acquired machines for disabled voters that everyone agrees should be used.

However, the passage of an emergency measure—Assembly Bill 969—sets up a "difference of opinion" between Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen and a board majority led by the board chair, District 4 Supervisor Patrick Jones, who says hand-counting should stay in place.

"If she changes her mind and feels that the state—with the passing of AB-969—allows her for electronic tabulation, then, obviously, we're going to have a conflict with the majority of the Shasta County Supervisors that set a different policy with that," Jones said. "So, it'll get interesting very quickly."

"We knew it was coming and, hopefully, we can avoid a lawsuit. But, if that's what it takes to have local control, then that's what it takes," Chair Jones told KRCR.

"So we've asked county counsel for some input on that [the passing of AB-969], but, as we have done for decades in this office, we will follow the law in administering elections," Darling Allen told KRCR. "So the elections code is pretty specific and it delegates authority to the board of supervisors should they choose a voting system. And the board, also, I hope, is going to follow the law."

The new law allows for hand-counting of ballots in elections with fewer than 1,000 registered voters. Still, the Nov. 7 Ballot is a consolidated election—the Shasta Fire Station and Gateway School District—with thousands of registered voters.

--

To report errors or issues with this article please email the editorial team.