As the sun rose over Mt. Shasta on November 7, 2023, Dora Rose, LWVC Deputy Director, made her way to the polls in Shasta County to monitor the process. This Special Election was the first in Shasta County since Assembly Bill 969 became law, unequivocally prohibiting hand counts as the primary tabulation method for most California elections. 

The new law became necessary after the Shasta County Board of Supervisors ended their contract with Dominion Voting Systems based on false claims of fraud, without an alternative accessible system in place, and with the intention to require hand counts in all elections. Subsequent statements by local officials threatening to ignore the law rang alarm bells at the League of Women Voters of California. The LWVC joined a coalition to send communicate with the Secretary of State about our grave concerns, and Dora deployed to partner with the League of Women Voters of the Redding Area to observe the election and help ensure that the rights of Shasta County voters are protected.

Thanks to the groundwork laid by the LWVC and partners, the quick action by Assembly Elections Chair Pellerin and the state legislature, the vigilance of the Secretary of State, and of course the skillful administration by Shasta County Clerk and Registrar Cathy Darling-Allen and her staff, the election ran smoothly.

Dora went to Shasta County as part of the LWVC’s promise to make sure that every Californian can access democracy and use it to build the future they choose. We will always show up to make sure Democracy Works for all Californians. 

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