The Shasta County Citizens Election Advisory Commission voted 3-2 to immediately send a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to approve an ordinance that would return election hand counting of paper ballots at precincts using secure paper poll books.
When Shasta County Supervisors Patrick Jones, Kevin Crye, and Chris Kelstrom voted last year to be the first in the nation to terminate the highly controversial Dominion voting machine system, the State of California retaliated against local control by passing Assembly Bill No. 969 that mandates any election with more than 1,000 eligible voters cannot be subject to a hand-count in California.
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Although the California Election Code 19205 states that “no part of the voting system shall be connected to the internet at any time" and that “no part of the voting system shall receive or transmit wireless communications or wireless data transfers”, the Shasta County technical staff report indicated that voting machines are in fact connected to the internet.
Shasta County Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen opposes hand-counting and is believed to dispute the county’s own technical staff analysis, but she also intends to step down after managing the upcoming March 5th election and recall contests.
Commission member Susanne Baremore, who represents 3rd District Supervisor Mary Rickert that is facing a highly contested reelection vote, stated: “I am concerned that they are essentially recommending policies to the Board of Supervisors that will break the law.”
Commission Vice Chair Lisa Michaud said during discussion that she supported the county moving forward to bring back hand-counting, but expects if and when the measure is approved by Supervisors there will be a fight with the state.
The hearing featured the usual opposition engaging in nasty catcalls and name-calling to intimidate the conservative commissioners and suppress public supporters from taking their opportunity to speak for three minutes. Opponents hammered on the measure as trying to stop people from voting,
yet were completely dismissive of concerns regarding voter integrity and ballot stuffing of unmonitored drop boxes.
Dr. Laura Hobbs, who is also a candidate for Shasta County 2nd District Supervisor, spoke articulately regarding her concerns about the machines. Yet, she was constantly interrupted by the small group of hecklers who claimed she must be against democracy by expressing her own opinion.
Opponents were especially unhappy about Chriss Street presenting his analysis that the actual cost of secure paper ballot hand-counting averaged just $1.85 per ballot, a fraction of the for cost electronic ballot voting and much more secure. [Analysis attached below]
The vote by the Citizens Election Advisory Commission to recommend establishment of a local ordinance requiring secure ballot counting was supported by conservative commission majority members: Ronnean Lund; Bev Gray; and Lisa Michaud. The recommendation was opposed as expected by Dawn Ducket and Susanne Baremore. The measure is expected to be taken up by the Board of Supervisors on March 12th.
FORENSIC ANALYSIS PRESENTED TO SHASTA COUNTY SUPERVISORS
In Re: “Voting Systems and Manual Tally in Shasta County” Signed Cathy Darling Allen as Shasta County Clerk/Register of Voters By Chriss W. Street
Ms. Darling Allen reported in open session to Shasta County Board of Supervisors on
March 28, 2023, a 3-page Memorandum supported by 26-page Attachment stating:
Full Manual Tally of Votes will cost = “minimum of $1,651,209.68”
Full Manual Tally of Votes will cost = “1,300 new staff”
Conclusion: Calculations Based on Data are False
MS. DARLING ALLEN: 2022 RECOUNT SETS COUNTY COST & TIME
“Following the November 2022 election, staff re-counted 5,535 ballot cards from
randomly selected precincts by hand, then compared the hand-counted vote totals
to the software counted totals. These hand-counted ballots came from 13
precincts, with no more than five of the contests on the ballot re-counted in 11 of
the precincts.
It took two teams of four people 8 days to hand-count this small sampling of ballots, which comprised just 8 percent of the nearly 69,000 ballots cast by Shasta voters in that election.”
Quoting : “Analysis of Manual Tally Options for Shasta County” [Page 11] Required 8% Hand Recount: California Election Code §§ 15360 2022 Recount Time Sets Hand Tally Cost Basis
Two Sets of Four Staff Workers
= 8 Workers
Times Eight-day Recount Period = 64 Worker Days
Times Eight Hours per Worker Day = 512 Hours
Times $20 per Hour [Min. Wage & Benefit = $10,240
Divided by 5,535 ballot cards [8% Recount] = $1.85 per Recount Ballot Card
Times 69,000 ballots cast 2022 Election = $127,650 Hand Tally Cost
Times 111,503 ballots cast 2020 Election = $206,280.55 Hand Tally Cost
