California

California: Shasta County ditched its Dominion voting machines. Now, residents are braced for turmoil on Nov. 7 | Jessica Garrison and Hailey Branson-Potts/Los Angeles Times

Shasta County, with a predominantly Republican population, is on edge as it nears its local election, with concerns of potential unrest or violence. The Board of Supervisors, leaning far-right, aimed to hand-count ballots after unproven voter fraud claims, but Governor Newsom intervened and signed a law limiting counties from doing so. The county registrar, Cathy Darling Allen, plans to follow state law and use newly purchased machines, which has sparked outrage among residents subscribing to election fraud conspiracy theories. This situation is emblematic of the larger trend of election officials facing threats and intimidation across the country. The standoff in Shasta is closely watched as a precursor to the 2024 elections, and experts express concern over the escalating rhetoric and division in modern American democracy. Read Article

California: Shasta County voting machines: An accusation of ‘staged chaos’ rings out at tense meeting | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors in California is grappling with internal divisions and controversies surrounding election procedures, particularly in the wake of a decision to switch from Dominion Voting Systems to Hart InterCivic. Board Chair Patrick Jones, along with two other supervisors, had advocated for hand-counted ballots, leading to tension and allegations of misinformation. Critics argue that the board majority’s focus on issues like Second Amendment rights, COVID-19 mandates, and election security is causing unnecessary discord and diverting attention from more pressing matters like the homeless crisis, crime, and jail capacity. The situation reflects a broader trend of political polarization and controversial local decision-making. Read Article

California: Voting Rights Advocates Ask Secretary of State To Monitor Shasta County’s Upcoming Elections | Annelise Pierce/Shasta Scout

Six nonprofit voting rights advocacy groups have formally requested California’s Secretary of State, Shirley Weber, to oversee and support the upcoming elections in Shasta County, California. They specifically ask for in-person monitoring during both the November 2023 and March 2024 elections. The coalition of advocacy organizations expressed serious concerns about the stability of Shasta County’s election system and highlighted misinformation and disinformation circulating in public meetings, potentially undermining voters’ confidence. They pointed out the diversion of time and resources from the Shasta County Elections Office staff due to extraordinary pressures, potentially endangering the smooth administration of upcoming elections and voters’ rights. The advocates called for Secretary Weber to provide necessary assistance to the county’s Registrar of Voters and to support voter education efforts in Shasta County. Read Article

California: Legal battle over tallying votes brews as Shasta County’s November special election looms | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

Shasta County is facing a legal battle over its plan to manually tally votes, which violates a new state law, AB 969, that essentially bans manual counting of ballots in regular elections with more than 1,000 registered voters. The county chair, Patrick Jones, insists on proceeding with the hand-count system despite warnings from the Secretary of State’s office and the Attorney General’s office that they must comply with the new law. Jones has threatened litigation if the state tries to stop the county. This move is part of a broader trend of new election laws and administrative changes, some of which have faced legal challenges. Read Article

California bill limiting ballot hand counting becomes law; Shasta County pledges to defy statute | Nicholas Kerr/ABC

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law that restricts the ability of local governments to manually count ballots, a move prompted by Shasta County’s decision to terminate its contract with Dominion Voting Systems and opt for hand-tabulation. The new law, AB 969, limits hand-counting to specific circumstances, such as regularly scheduled elections in places with under 1,000 registered voters and special elections with fewer than 5,000 voters. It also prevents counties from canceling contracts for voting systems without a transition plan and finalized agreement for a new state-approved system. This decision comes after unsubstantiated conspiracy theories led Shasta County to terminate its contract with Dominion, leaving it without an election system for a period. The move to hand-count would have been an immense undertaking given California’s often complex and lengthy ballots, and it is now legally prohibited. Read Article

California: Divided Redding City Council authorizes letter to Shasta County about costs of hand counting ballots. Who’ll sign? | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

Redding Mayor Michael Dacquisto and Vice Mayor Mark Mezzano are refusing to sign a letter expressing the city’s concerns about potential cost increases for hand-counting votes, a decision that divided the Redding City Council. Councilors Julie Winter, Tenessa Audette, and Jack Munns voted in favor of sending the letter, which aims to work with the county to develop a more cost-effective voting system that doesn’t strain the general fund. Dacquisto and Mezzano view the letter as a waste of time, with Mezzano indicating he won’t sign it despite being one of its authors. The letter responds to Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen’s estimates that hand-counting would raise Redding’s election costs from $46,630 to $176,645. Dacquisto mentioned Assembly Bill 969, which could eliminate manual tabulations in counties with over 1,000 registered voters, suggesting this would resolve the issue. The letter, however, does not explicitly address the county’s termination of its contract with Dominion Voting Systems or Supervisor Kevin Crye’s stance on the cost estimates. Read Article

California lawmakers vote to limit when local election officials can count ballots by hand | Adam Beam and Christina A. Cassidy/Associated Press

California lawmakers have voted to restrict the circumstances under which local governments can conduct hand counts of election ballots, a move primarily aimed at Shasta County. The county’s conservative-majority board of supervisors decided to terminate its contract with Dominion Voting Systems, citing loss of public confidence in the machines. The recent legislation limits hand counts to specific situations, such as regularly scheduled elections with fewer than 1,000 registered voters or special elections with fewer than 5,000 eligible voters. Critics argue that hand counts are resource-intensive and less precise compared to electronic tabulation. Read Article

California: Shasta County supervisors to vote on suing state over voting law prohibiting hand counting ballots in most elections | Damon Arthur/Redding Record Searchlight

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors is considering suing the state of California over a recently passed bill, Assembly Bill 969, that would prohibit hand counting ballots in most elections. The board argues that if the bill is signed into law, it would violate the state constitution by being illegally approved as an urgency measure, and it would also strip local control from the Shasta County supervisors. The bill, authored by Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin, would mandate the use of voting machines for ballot counting, except in elections with fewer than 1,000 registered voters. Shasta County, with over 110,000 registered voters, would be affected by this change. The bill also requires counties to have a transition plan and a replacement contract in place before terminating an existing voting system contract. While some supervisors support the potential lawsuit, others believe the funds could be better used elsewhere. Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen supports the bill, emphasizing the importance of using certified and qualified voting systems for tabulating results. Read Article

California State Senate Passes AB 969, Even as Costs of Shasta County’s Manual Tally of Election Ballots Continue to Rise | George Winship/anewscafe.com

The California State Senate has approved Assembly Bill 969, which places restrictions on certain voting jurisdictions, including Shasta County, preventing them from terminating voting system contracts and resorting to manual vote counting except in specific circumstances. This legislation is designed to safeguard the use of automated voting systems and curb the adoption of manual counting in these jurisdictions. Concerns highlighted include the rising expenses associated with manual ballot counts, which can become substantial. The bill will now return to the Assembly for consideration of Senate amendments before reaching the governor’s desk for final approval. Read Article

California: Glenn County Supervisors discuss potentially eliminating Dominion voting machines | Anwar Stetson/KRCR

The Glenn County Board of Supervisors discussed the possibility of switching to hand-counting ballots in local elections following concerns raised by citizens about voter fraud. Influenced by Shasta County’s decision to remove Dominion voting machines, residents urged their supervisors to do the same. However, they are cautious about making changes due to the pending AB-969 bill in the state committee, which could prevent counties with over one thousand people from hand-counting ballots. The board was receptive to the public’s concerns but did not take any immediate action or make a decision to eliminate voting machines. Read Article

California: Redding councilor says cost to hand count votes could affect city’s ability to hire police | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

The Redding City Council in California is concerned about a proposed voting system change in Shasta County that would involve hand counting ballots. The cost to implement this new plan would nearly quadruple the city’s expenses for the November 2022 election, potentially reaching $400,000 for two elections in a year. Councilwoman Julie Winter worries that this increase in costs would affect the city’s ability to hire police officers, impacting public safety. The proposed change to hand counting ballots is part of a broader investigation into attempts to overturn election results, but it could become moot if Assembly Bill 969, which bans manual counting of ballots in elections with over 1,000 registered voters, becomes state law. Read Article

California: Amended California bill would ban hand counts in elections with more than 1,000 voters | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

Assembly Bill 969, an updated version of a state bill introduced in response to Shasta County’s decision to stop using Dominion voting machines, includes language that would ban manual counting of ballots in elections with over 1,000 registered voters. The bill, authored by Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin, is an emergency statute that would take effect immediately upon Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature. The bill aims to require a county board of supervisors to have a transition plan and replacement contract in place before terminating an existing voting system contract. The bill has faced opposition from the Shasta County Republican Central Committee, while the county has spent over $1.5 million on a hand-counting system that has yet to be finalized. The amended version of the bill is scheduled to be heard in the Senate’s Governance and Finance Committee. Read Article

California: Shasta County faces proposed bill and regulations targeting hand-counted ballots | Mike Mangas and Adam Robinaon/KRCR

Shasta County has become a focal point for state legislators in Sacramento due to proposed regulations and a bill aimed at hand-counting ballots. The county recently acquired accessible voting machines for disabled voters, costing $800,000, and plans to transition to manual vote counting using a table with four people: one to call out the vote, one to visually confirm it, and two to keep count. However, the challenge lies in aggregating the results without using computer equipment. Assembly Bill 969, if passed, would limit hand-counting to elections with fewer than a thousand registered voters. While the bill’s status is still being determined, Shasta County must continue preparing for a hand count in the upcoming November election. The proposed regulations are currently open for public comment until July 5, with a public hearing scheduled in Sacramento on July 3. Read Article

California: Shasta County scrapped its voting machines and didn’t replace them. A new bill would bar that | Jenavieve Hatch/The Sacramento Bee

Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin, D-Santa Cruz, has introduced Assembly Bill 969 in response to Shasta County Board of Supervisors’ decision to terminate its contract with Dominion Voting Systems. The bill aims to prevent counties from ending voting system contracts without a replacement plan in place. Pellerin argues that abruptly shifting to manual vote counting would be impractical and costly for counties, affecting the accuracy and efficiency of elections. She emphasizes the complexities involved in implementing a new voting system and highlights the need for resources and training. The bill passed in the Assembly, with some opposition from Republicans, and will now proceed to the Senate. Pellerin’s experience as a former County Clerk has shaped her belief in the importance of secure, transparent, and accessible voting processes. Read Article

California Secretary of State finalizing voting regulations aimed at Shasta County | Roman Battaglia/Jefferson Public Radio

Shasta County in Northern California has become the first and only county in the state to switch back to hand-counting ballots in elections, prompting the need for specific procedures to be outlined. California has not hand-counted every ballot for decades, so rules must be established to ensure accuracy and prevent tampering. The new regulations require a machine recount to verify any discrepancies from the hand-counting process. Shasta County Clerk Cathy Darling Allen anticipates challenges in recruiting enough temporary staff and finding sufficient space for counting and storage. A plan needs to be prepared and approved in time for the upcoming November election. Read Article

California: Shasta County supervisor renews unproven claims of 2020 election fraud | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

Shasta County Supervisor Patrick Jones, who orchestrated the decision to terminate the county’s contract with Dominion Voting Systems and return to manual vote counting, claimed fraud occurred in his own 2020 election race, despite winning by a significant margin. Jones referenced the Mesa, Colorado, “pattern of fraud” coined by Jeffrey O’Donnell, a promoter of election conspiracy theories. Jones announced plans to hold a town hall meeting on hand-counting ballots, where he intends to invite speakers who have propagated false theories on voting machines and a rigged election system. Shasta County Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen expressed skepticism about the purpose of the town hall, stating that California already has set parameters and processes for hand counting, and upcoming hand-count regulations are expected to be published by the California Secretary of State. The county has allocated over $1.5 million to develop a hand-count system pending state certification. Read Article

California counties don’t use unpaid election workers, despite despite claims made in Shasta County | David Benda Redding Record Searchlight

Shasta County Supervisor Patrick Jones believes the debate over whether volunteers can help count ballots in local elections is not yet settled. Despite the advice of the county Registrar of Voters and County Counsel that workers must be paid according to California election codes, Jones points to a letter from a conservative attorney stating that 15 California counties allow unpaid volunteers. However, an investigation by the Record Searchlight found that the counties mentioned in the letter do not use unpaid volunteers for counting ballots; instead, they employ poll workers who receive stipends. Critics argue that the estimates of increased costs for hand counting provided by the registrar are not inflated, and using volunteers may compromise the security and chain of command of the election process. Read Article

California: Public tirades, recall threats as Shasta County roils from decision to dump voting machines | Jessica Garrison/Los Angeles Times

Weeks after deciding to dump Dominion Voting Systems and become the largest government entity in the U.S. to hand-count its votes, Shasta County officials are now grappling with the complex logistics of actually carrying out that approach, accurately and legally, in a county of 200,000 people. In a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday spiced with angry personal attacks — and during which Supervisor Kevin Crye was served with recall papers on the dais mid-session— county staff told board members that hand-counting ballots could cost an additional $3 million over two years. The board ultimately voted to fund seven more staff positions to carry out the effort, even as flabbergasted citizens in the audience bemoaned what they said were absurd new expenses for a county struggling to provide healthcare and homeless services. The board’s decision earlier this year to sever the county’s long-standing relationship with Dominion, one of the largest suppliers of voting machines and software in the U.S, has garnered national attention as an example of the chaos wrought by unfounded claims of voter fraud pushed by former President Trump and his allies after his failed 2020 reelection bid. Last week, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion $787.5 million to settle a defamation suit the company filed accusing the network of knowingly promoting false claims that its voting machines had been used to manipulate election results. As part of that settlement, Fox issued a statement acknowledging “certain claims” made on its programming about Dominion were false.

Full Article: Shasta County roils after its decision to dump voting machines – Los Angeles Times

California: Shasta County decision to drop Dominion voting machines prompts state bill | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

An Assembly bill making its way through the California Legislature in Sacramento draws its inspiration from Shasta County’s abrupt and controversial decision in January to prematurely end its contract with Dominion Voting Systems. “It was pretty shocking to see a county board of supervisors terminate a voting contract without any option with how to move forward with another system,” Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin, a Democrat, told the Record Searchlight. Introduced on Feb. 14, Pellerin’s Assembly Bill 969 would require a county board of supervisors to have both a transition plan and a replacement contract with a state-certified system in place before terminating an existing voting system contract. Pellerin introduced the bill about three weeks after Shasta Supervisors voted 3-2 to terminate their contract with Dominion without a state certified and federally qualified voting system in place, ignoring the advice of Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen and then-County Counsel Rubin Cruse Jr. The California Association of Clerks and Election Officials support the bill. Pellerin’s bill is now headed to the Senate after passing the Assembly.

Full Article: Shasta County decision to drop Dominion voting machines prompts state bill

California: Shasta County votes to spend millions manually counting ballots — and not all voters are happy | Jenavieve Hatch/The Sacramento Bee

The Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to allocate millions of taxpayer dollars to pay for seven new employees who will assist in the county’s switch to manual ballot tallying. But the man behind the switch is paying a large price, too. Conservative Supervisor Kevin Crye, who has perpetuated the claim that Dominion Voting Systems rigged the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden, was served recall papers at the board meeting. In March, Shasta became the first county in California to pivot to a manual tally. The county’s contract with Dominion Voting Systems ended in January, and after right-wing news outlets and commentators spread the falsehood that the machines were rigged, board members decided not to renew it; instead of replacing it with different machines, they opted for the controversial decision to count ballots by hand at great expense. Chief fiscal officer Erin Bertain warned the board on Tuesday that the decision to hand count votes could cost the county at least $3 million through the 2024-2025 fiscal year, because the county will likely need to hire 1,500 ballot counters for the 2024 election. There are nearly 112,000 registered voters in Shasta County; in the last presidential election, 94,084 people turned out to vote.

Source: Shasta County Republican supervisors vote for manual tally | The Sacramento Bee

California: Shasta County’s cost to hand count votes expected to pass $1.5 million | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

Costs continue to mount for Shasta County to do a full hand count of ballots in future elections. It’s now expected to exceed $1.5 million — about three times more than if the county would have kept its contract with Dominion Voting Systems and continued with electronic ballot tabulations. And the price tag will probably go up more as county election officials continue to work on the number of ballot counters and poll workers that will be needed to do a secure hand count. After they approved earlier this month spending $950,000 on equipment needed to hand-count ballots, supervisors on Tuesday will be asked to adopt a salary resolution that adds five positions in the elections department and two in support services. In a report to supervisors, the estimated annual cost for the seven positions is $600,962, which includes benefits. Most of that money will come from the county’s general fund with the balance coming from agencies that the county bills for each election.

Full Article: Shasta County’s cost to hand count votes expected to pass $1.5 million

California: How Shasta County Became A Petri Dish For the Big Lie | Kaila Philo/TPM

A deep red enclave in rural Northern California has recently seen the balance of its local governing body shift to the far right. Now it’s about to embark on an experiment tried in few other jurisdictions across the country: counting all of its paper ballots by hand. The county clerk warned TPM that the switch could be more problematic than the hard-right majority could have anticipated. The Board of Supervisors in Shasta County, California, has served as a petri dish for the most noxious refuse of Trumpism over the past few years. From COVID-19 denialism to conspiracy theories about Dominion Voting Systems, a handful of county board members have used their positions to breathe life into Trumpian conspiracy theories and grievances at the local level, pulling in MyPillow CEO and noted Trump brown-noser Mike Lindell along the way.  It started on Aug. 11, 2020, when a local militia member Carlos Zapata hijacked a board meeting to go on a rant against COVID-19 restrictions, and threatened violence if they continued. “Right now, we’re being peaceful, and you better be happy that we’re good citizens, that we’re peaceful citizens,” he said, “but it’s not going to be peaceful much longer, OK?” His rant, which subsequently got attention from Alex Jones and Fox News, portended the near future: Less than a year later, a local anti-government militia led an effort to recall county supervisors who followed mitigation measures—and ultimately succeeded in ousting one of them.

Full Article: How A Rural California County Became A Petri Dish For the Big Lie

California: With more costs to come, Shasta County will spend $950,000 on new voting system after hand count approval | Damon Arthur/Redding Record Searchlight

Shasta County officials on Thursday approved spending $950,000 to hire a company to provide the equipment needed to hand-count ballots, something that hasn’t been done in California in decades, at least not on the scale proposed in the county. The Board of Supervisors’ action comes even as elections officials try to develop a process that does away with machine counting and instead manually tallies ballots. County officials are also trying to figure out all of the costs associated with converting from machine counting. The board’s vote was driven by the majority of supervisors’ distrust of the vote counting machines it was using, Dominion Voting Systems. But over the past few months a large number of people also urged the board to stick with Dominion, rather than hand counting. Public comment before Thursday’s board vote reflected the divide in the community over hand-counting versus machine tabulation. Joann Roskoski, past president of the League of Women Voters in Shasta County, criticized the supervisors for adopting hand counting without knowing all of the costs involved. “We don’t even know if it can be done. But for sure, the money you’re looking at today is the tip of the iceberg. That money is going to get larger and larger and larger. And I agree with the last speaker that not having come up with a plan before you set sail on the Titanic was a big mistake,” Roskoski said.

Full Article: Shasta Co. spends $950K on new voting system after hand count approval

California: Shasta County finally picks voting system, rescinds CEO job offer | Roman Battaglia/Jefferson Public Radio

After months of confusion about how Shasta County will conduct its elections, county supervisors approved a new company to provide their voting equipment on Thursday. That’s in addition to an effort to hand-count ballots. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pick Hart Intercivic as their new provider of voting equipment in the county. That’s after the board canceled their contract with Dominion Voting Systems in January, based on unproven claims of election fraud. The decision made Shasta the first county in California to drop Dominion. The county is required to have a vendor to provide voting accessibility, but their larger plan is to count all of the ballots by hand. No other county in California counts ballots this way. During Thursday’s meeting, Supervisor Mary Rickert said that hand-counting is both expensive and a waste of resources. “I feel like you’re almost, kind-of setting up the elections office to fail,” she said. Elections department staff say that state rules that are currently under development about hand-counting would require they still scan ballots before counting them to deter fraud. The board approved an initial $800,000 dollars on Thursday for the Hart Intercivic system. They haven’t figured out how it will affect the county’s budget. More funding will be needed to pay for the costs of hand-counting.

Full Article: Shasta finally picks voting system, rescinds CEO job offer | Jefferson Public Radio

California: Shasta County’s quest to replace Dominion turns ‘very dark’ | Eric Ting/ SFGATE

After Shasta County ended its contract with Dominion Voting Systems over election fraud conspiracy theories, there were two options county leaders considered: 1) Enter an agreement with a different electronic voting system certified by the state of California, or 2) Attempt to count all ballots by hand  — which would come at a very steep cost and risk falling out of compliance with state law — and apparently hope that My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell pays the legal fees stemming from any possible lawsuits. Guess which option the five-person board — now led by a conservative supermajority — chose. “The whole thing is just hard to absorb and I’m in a little bit of shock,” county elections chief Cathy Darling Allen told SFGATE on Tuesday evening, after the board voted 3-2 to hand-count all ballots. The vote came at the tail end of a laborious nine-hour meeting. “It’s pretty clear the supervisors don’t quite understand what they’ve undertaken,” Allen said.

Full Article: Shasta County’s quest to replace Dominion turns ‘very dark’

California: Shasta elections official: County likely needs 1,300 workers to hand count votes; ‘even we cannot perform miracles’ | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

Opting to manually count ballots in an election could set Shasta County back more than $1.6 million and would require hiring 1,300 workers to help with the tally and renting a facility that’s large enough to carry out the work securely. That’s the determination from county Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen who late Monday night released a 26-page analysis on hand-counting in which she urges leaders to reject a system that has not been tested anywhere in California. The report, which is accompanied by a three-page letter addressed to the Board of Supervisors, dropped just hours before members are scheduled to decide what future elections will be like in the county. Supervisors will consider on Tuesday Chair Patrick Jones’ push for counting votes by hand as well as a voting system that also allows for at least two races to be manually counted. Darling Allen is calling on the supervisors to either reinstate the contract with Dominion Voting Systems or approve a contract for new voting machines. To do otherwise could put the county at risk of not being able to conduct elections within the mandated timelines and result in voter disenfranchisement, potential litigation and erosion of confidence in local elections, she said.

Full Article: Shasta County elections official warns against counting votes by hand

Missouri is not hand-counting votes, despite California county supervisor’s claim | David Benda Redding/Record Searchlight

Supervisor Patrick Jones has used the state of Missouri as an example of where a hand-count ballot system can work and also comply with federal election laws. Jones is leading a charge to eliminate electronic vote tabulation machines in Shasta County and return to hand-counting ballots. “I have been doing a little bit of research with at least one state. Missouri is returning to hand-counting,” Jones said at the board’s Feb. 28 meeting. The Show Me State is not ditching its electronic machines to hand-count ballots. New election provisions that Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed into law in June 2022 do a lot of things. What they don’t do is mandate hand-counting all ballots. “Starting in 2024, we are eliminating some electronic equipment, which is called our DRE equipment. Basically, though, just saying that it will be replaced with equipment that will be producing that paper ballot. … But there’s nothing in Missouri where we’re going to start hand-counting all paper ballots,” JoDonn Chaney, director of communications for Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, said to the Record Searchlight.

Full Article: Missouri is not hand-counting votes, despite Shasta supervisor’s claim

California: Election experts warn against hand-counting ballots in Shasta County | David Benda/Redding Record Searchlight

Shasta County’s quest to ditch voting machines and count every ballot by hand will be a laborious, time-consuming and a potentially more costly endeavor. Hand counting ballots might be feasible for smaller communities, but for a county like Shasta, with more than 110,000 registered voters, the process becomes more challenging, two election experts told the Record Searchlight. “There is nothing wrong with hand counting, per say. It’s just the larger the jurisdiction ― the number of ballot styles you have ― it does become a little more time-consuming and it does become more complex,” said Genya Coulter, senior director of stakeholder relations at the Open Source Election Technology Institute, a nonprofit that works to ensure election technology is accurate, secure and transparent. “I think it’s certainly going to be very resource heavy,” said Pamela Smith, president of the nonpartisan election watchdog group Verified Voting. “When you talk to election officials, the biggest challenge is recruiting enough poll workers. If you tell them they are going to have to recruit, easily, double the poll workers just to accomplish a hand count, it’s not feasible.” Smith said she has heard the argument that plenty of people want to volunteer to work elections. “That’s just not the case,” she added. “You will need a lot more people” and that could add to the cost.

Full Article: Election experts warn against hand-counting ballots in Shasta County

California: Shasta County cuts ties with Dominion amid unfounded voting fraud claims | Jessica Garrison/Los Angeles Times

Swept up in unproven voter fraud claims, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors has upended the county’s election process, canceling its contract with Dominion Voting Systems and opting this week to pursue, among other options, the possibility of counting votes by hand. Supervisor Kevin Crye, part of a newly empowered hard-right majority on the board, also announced at Tuesday’s board meeting that he had been in touch with MyPillow Chief Executive Mike Lindell, a prominent pro-Donald Trump election conspiracy theorist, about supporting a pilot voting system in the rural Northern California county. On the same day, in another Republican-controlled county 400 miles south, Kern County supervisors narrowly voted to keep Dominion as the county’s voting system, but not before listening to hours of testimony from residents who were convinced the system was rigged.

Full Article: Shasta cuts ties with Dominion amid unfounded voting fraud claims – Los Angeles Times

California: Kern County renews contract with Dominion as dozens lash out during meeting | Maddie Gannon/KGET

After weeks of uncertainty and multiple delays, on Tuesday, the Kern County Board of Supervisors decided to renew its contract with Dominion voting machines in a three-to-two vote. The new contract is for three years and will last through 2025. District 1 Supervisor Phillip Peters and District 4 Supervisor David Couch voted against the renewal while district 3 Supervisor Jeff Flores, District 2 Supervisor Zack Scrivner and District 5 Supervisor Leticia Perez voted in favor of it. The vote came after about five hours of discussion during a heated Board meeting on Tuesday. “I’m telling your Board that to replace our current voting system based on accusations that have yet to be proven, despite being made more than two and a half years ago, is a waste of taxpayer dollars,” Kern County Auditor-Controller-County Clerk-Registrar of Voters Aimee Espinoza said to a fiery reaction from the crowd. Dominion voting machines have been the source of speculation and controversy around the nation since the 2020 election, including in Kern. For weeks, a group of residents have taken the floor at board meetings asking the county not to renew its contract. Tuesday was no exception with over two dozen residents asking to delay the decision.

Full Article: Kern renews contract with Dominion as dozens lash out during meeting