If Shasta County Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis wants to hire an attorney to defend him against a lawsuit that is attempting to stop a measure that would require voter ID from getting on the June 2 ballot, Curtis will have to pay for it himself.
Supervisors, during a special meeting on Tuesday, March 3, voted 4-1 not to expend county funds to pay for Curtis’ representation. District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye cast the lone dissenting vote.
The board was supposed to meet in closed session but after taking about 30 minutes of public comment, Crye made a motion to meet in open session over the matter. Supervisors voted 4-1 to do so with District 2 Supervisor Allen Long voting no.
Supervisors also voted unanimously to give County Counsel Joseph Larmour the authority to challenge in court, if it comes up, the assumption that the ballot measure’s proponents are not entitled to defend against the lawsuit.
The proponents have hired Alexander Haberbush, a Long Beach attorney, to represent them in court.
Haberbush also defended Laura Hobbs, who in 2024 asked a judge to “find moot the nomination of Supervisor Long as winner” of the March 2024 election. Hobbs, who ran against Long, lost the lawsuit.
Hobbs also is one of the community leaders who helped put the election measure on the June 2 ballot.
Meanwhile, Larmour at Tuesday’s meeting announced that ballot measure proponents have appealed Judge Benjamin Hanna’s decision on Feb. 26 to grant a temporary restraining order that for now prevents Curtis from putting the controversial measure on the June 2 ballot.
Larmour said the proponents filed an appeal with California’s Third District Court of Appeal. He added that a decision by the court could come on Wednesday, March 4.
If the restraining order is overturned, a new hearing date on the lawsuit would most likely be set. Right now, the next hearing date is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. April 10. Curtis has said the county’s ballot printing deadline for the June 2 primary is April 2. So if the measure was put back on the ballot, a special election would have to be called, which would cost the county more money, he added.
The measure would require voter ID, that elections take place on one day with limited absentee voting and the hand-counting ballots at precincts.
“Jane Doe” filed the lawsuit on Feb. 17.
“The Initiative, which purports to impose local voter identification mandates, hand-counting requirements, one-day in-person voting, and absentee voting restrictions, is preempted in its entirety by the California Elections Code and Article II of the California Constitution,” the lawsuit states.
Curtis has been adamant that he has the duty to put the measure on the ballot because proponents submitted enough verified signatures — even if the measure runs counter to state and federal law.
Long at Tuesday’s meeting asked Curtis that if by taking that position, he is actually lobbying for the ballot measure.
“Well, I am not ever neutral on whether it gets on the ballot. It should get on the ballot,” Curtis said.
“Everything that is brought before me, and if it passes the signature check, should be on the ballot. I don’t care if I hate it or not,” he added.
Curtis told supervisors during the meeting that he wants to have pro-Donald Trump attorney Peter Ticktin to defend him against the Jane Doe lawsuit.
“Peter Ticktin, he’s Trump’s attorney. He actually went to school with him when he was a kid and he is one of the best election lawyers I’ve seen. I do election law. He does election law on steroids, so if anyone can save this, it would be Peter Ticktin,” Curtis told supervisors when Crye asked him who Ticktin was.
According to news reports, Ticktin wants Trump to sign an executive order to declare a national emergency that would in part mandate voter ID and ban mail-in ballots ahead of the November mid-term elections.
“The most important provision, if you ask me, is the hand counting,” Ticktin told ABC News on Feb. 26. “Get rid of the machines. That’s what we need to do right away.”
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 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 won’t pay for election chief’s defense against ballot suit
Reporting by David Benda, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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