Shasta County is experiencing delays in its vote-counting process due to a newly implemented ballot filming system. This system, introduced by Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis, is designed to enhance transparency by allowing for more human oversight. However, it has also significantly increased the time required to process ballots.

The filming process involves manually showing each ballot to a camera twice, once before and once after scanning. This additional step is intended to allow public review of the ballots, although the practicality of such a review is questionable due to the sheer volume of footage and legal restrictions on showing all ballots.

According to election manager Anna Rodriguez, the new process takes about 11 minutes per batch of 50 ballots, compared to 5 minutes without it. This effectively doubles the time needed to process each batch, which is particularly challenging given the accelerated timeline for certifying votes in the special election for California’s District 1 congressional seat.

Despite these challenges, Curtis remains optimistic. He has assured that the election staff will work through the weekend to meet the internal deadline for processing all ballots. This is crucial for notifying voters who need to correct issues on their ballots.

The introduction of human elements into the process has also introduced variability in processing times. Some staff members are faster than others, and the repetitive nature of the task can lead to slower processing due to necessary breaks and human interaction.

This situation provides a real-time example of the potential impact of Measure B, which proposes a full hand-count of ballots in future elections. Proponents claim it will be quick and efficient, but the current experience with the ballot filming process suggests otherwise.

Original reporting: Shasta Scout (Redding) — read the source article.