Shasta County voters have approved Measure B, a local ballot initiative that changes the county’s election procedures in several ways, including establishing voter ID requirements, eliminating most early voting, and mandating hand-counting ballots. The measure, which was supported by over half of Shasta’s voters, contradicts statewide law and has caught the attention of California’s attorney general.

State Action Expected

The California Attorney General’s office has stated that it is closely monitoring the Measure B results and is prepared to take action to protect voters’ rights and enforce state election laws. This could lead to a lawsuit against Shasta County, similar to one filed against Huntington Beach in 2024 over a similar voter ID law.

Proponents of Measure B, including Jim Burnett and Laura Hobbs, have expressed determination to defend the measure against potential legal challenges. Burnett stated that he feels ‘vindicated’ by the voters’ support and is hopeful that Shasta County will prevail in any legal challenge.

Local Control

Measure B’s supporters argue that the measure is necessary to ensure local control over elections and to prevent the state from interfering with the county’s election processes. However, opponents argue that the measure is unconstitutional and will disenfranchise certain voters.

Once the election results are certified, Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis will need to begin preparing to administer Measure B’s complex processes in the fall election. Curtis has proposed methods to comply with both Measure B and state law, including conducting both hand counts and machine counts of votes.

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