Judge Blocks Measure Altering Shasta County Elections

A judge in Northern California’s Shasta County has temporarily blocked Measure B, a voter-approved initiative that sought to significantly change election procedures. This measure would remove most mail-in voting and demand ballots be hand-counted.

Shasta County Superior Court Judge Benjamin L. Hanna issued a preliminary injunction halting Measure B. This prevents its changes from being implemented in the November general election. All registered voters in Shasta County will still receive mail ballots per state law.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber sued Shasta County after the June primary, arguing Measure B conflicted with state election laws. Initially, the case went to the California 3rd District Court of Appeal but was sent back to proceed through trial court first.

Judge Hanna stated that enforcing Measure B could disenfranchise voters entitled to vote under state law but not compliant with the new measure. He highlighted the complexity of creating new voter rolls and re-registering voters so close to the upcoming election.

Weber applauded the decision, noting unnecessary barriers undermine democracy. Meanwhile, the Shasta Election Task Force, creators of Measure B, argued it was legally enacted by voters and opposed its suspension.

The debate in Shasta County mirrors broader election integrity concerns heightened by former President Trump’s assertions about the 2020 election. Measure B gained traction amid these claims and California’s labor-intensive vote tallying process.

Measure B aimed to restrict mail-in voting to specific groups and create separate county voter registration, requiring government-issued IDs for voting. It faced opposition from civil rights organizations such as the ACLU and the League of Women Voters.

Richard Gallardo, an advocate for Measure B, expected legal challenges, asserting the state’s lawsuit undermines voter intent. Gallardo had previously been involved in election integrity activism.

Shasta County has seen significant controversy over election integrity. The Board of Supervisors abandoned Dominion voting machines due to unfounded fraud claims, prompting new state laws against their removal.

This controversy is part of a larger national narrative, with former Shasta County registrar Clint Curtis advocating for Measure B and being named in the state lawsuit. Curtis, removed in June, had supported conspiracy theories and took drastic actions as registrar.