A ballot measure that runs counter to state and federal voter ID laws almost certainly will end up the in the courts should Shasta County voters pass the measure in a ballot next year.
Supervisors on Thursday voted 5-0 to place “the Local Transparency and Security Reform” measure on the June 2, 2026 ballot.
Supporters of the voter laws measure, many of whom helped collect signatures to get it placed on the ballot, were at a meeting Thursday, Nov. 6, wearing red shirts with the words “Voter ID” emblazoned on the back.
Those who addressed the board in support played up the voter identification requirement that the measure would mandate if it passed.
What supporters downplayed was that the measure, if approved, requires that Shasta County elections take place on one day with limited absentee voting and hand-counting ballots at the precincts.
The numbers show that absentee and voting by mail are popular in Shasta County. More than 90% of local residents vote by mail or use drop boxes to deliver their ballots.
At Thursday’s meeting, Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis presented the board with certification that declared proponents collected enough verified signatures and asked supervisors to place it on next year’s ballot.
Opponents of the measure cautioned the board about putting something on the ballot that breaks the law.
But County Counsel Joseph Larmour said the board’s job on Thursday was ministerial, noting that “whether the item is legal or illegal would be irrelevant. The only way that you would not carry out your ministerial duty would be to file an action with the court and ask for an injunction.”
The county sued the five people who sponsored the measure earlier this year over whether Larmour had to write a title and summary for the proposed ballot measure. But the county dropped the lawsuit in late March after a judge denied the county’s request to delay work on the measure.
Still, that hasn’t stopped the county from raising concerns about the measure because it conflicts with state and federal election laws, including the California Constitution and the National Voter Registration Act.
The California Secretary of State’s Office on Monday, Nov. 3 in an email to the Record Searchlight said local ballot measures have been “invalidated by the courts when they conflict with the constitution or state law.”
For example, the California Fourth Appellate District Court also on Monday, Nov. 3, struck down the city of Huntington Beach’s requirement to show voter ID.
The Secretary of State’s office said the Shasta County measure requiring voter ID and hand-counting ballots will likely “suffer the same fate as others have.”
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on X, formerly Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta County voter ID measure gets supervisors’ OK for 2026 ballot
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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