Shasta County 'election reform' measure qualifies for ballot

A proposed ballot measure in Shasta County has received enough valid signatures to qualify for a public vote. The initiative, which would overhaul how the county conducts elections, appears to conflict with several state election laws.

The charter amendment, brought forward earlier this year by local activists seeking to change how the county runs elections, would make in-person voting mandatory for most residents, mandate ballots be hand-counted by volunteers and require voters to show identification.

If approved, the measure would likely face legal challenges. State law generally prohibits hand-counting in most elections, a law adopted in 2023 after Shasta County attempted to create a hand-counting system.

"We believe that the public good requires us to return to time-tested, reliable, and transparent methods to hand-count our votes on election day and determine who will represent us," the proposed charter amendment states.




https://www.ijpr.org/politics-government/2025-10-30/shasta-county-hand-counting-initiative