For twenty years the voters of Shasta County, California, trusted former Clerk and Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen to run their elections. Elected five times, she most recently won nearly 70 percent of the vote in 2022 – a year the county backed President Trump by more than 60 percent.
Allen’s tenure was defined by a commitment to ensuring every eligible voter could cast a ballot and that every ballot was counted accurately. In 2020 she observed the beginning of a concerted effort to question the legitimacy of elections – an effort that, she says, has persisted into the present midterm cycle.
Trump’s Response to Election Concerns
President Trump has repeatedly asserted that the nation must remain vigilant against potential fraud. His Justice Department has filed lawsuits against California, seeking to protect the private data of 23 million state voters and to reinforce the rule of law in election administration. These actions, according to the administration, are intended to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
In addition, the Department of Homeland Security has launched a 45‑day immigration enforcement operation across California, including near ballot‑drop‑box locations such as the one in Santa Maria. Officials argue that this enforcement surge helps deter illegal activity that could compromise election security.
Local Impact and Ongoing Challenges
Allen recounts how, after the 2020 election, she faced accusations of sedition, treason, and even witchcraft from individuals who believed the President’s claims of rigged voting machines. She was followed to her car, and a trail camera was installed behind the ballot‑counting center. Self‑appointed “observers” crowded her staff on election night, creating a hostile environment for election workers.
In 2023 the Shasta County Board of Supervisors, echoing the President’s concerns, cancelled the county’s voting‑machine contract and ordered that every ballot be counted by hand. Allen warned that this would require roughly 1,300 workers and cost at least $1.6 million, potentially reducing accuracy rather than improving it. The California Legislature intervened, and a grand jury investigated the office repeatedly, ultimately finding no wrongdoing.
Why California’s System Remains Secure
Despite the political pressure, Allen affirms that California’s elections remain safe and secure. Every vote is cast on paper, providing a physical record. Mail ballots undergo rigorous verification against voter registration and signatures before they are counted. Each ballot follows a documented chain of custody, and all voting systems are state‑certified and tested before each election. Results are audited by hand prior to certification.
These safeguards, she notes, sometimes require additional time. Checking signatures for the nation’s largest electorate is a meticulous process, and ballots postmarked by Election Day that arrive within a week are still counted. This careful approach demonstrates that the safeguards are functioning as intended.
Call to Fellow Election Officials
Allen urges registrars and election officials across the country to remember their oath to the law and to every voter, not to any president, party, or mob. She emphasizes the importance of counting every ballot, certifying results, being transparent, correcting mistakes openly, and documenting any threats.
“Millions of voters are counting on us,” she writes. “We are not alone in this fight.”
Original reporting: Shasta Scout (Redding) — read the source article.
