Another Elections Commissioner Resigns as Board Prepares to Appoint New Registrar of Voters

5.7.2024 10:40 pm: We have updated the story to include information about whether Crye will replace an appointment on the Elections Commission.

This is a developing story. 

Lisa Michaud has just resigned from the Elections Commission. She’s the fourth to leave the recently-created Commission of five, which has come under fire from some county board supervisors and community members. She’s resigning, she told Supervisor Kevin Crye by email this week, due to time constraints. 

Asked by Shasta Scout if the resignation might also be connected to her spouse Ken Michaud’s hope of filling the newly-vacant position of Shasta County Registrar of Voters, Crye responded: “I hadn’t thought of that.”

Ken Michaud’s resume and cover letter indicating his interest in the role of Registrar of Voters was sent to the Board of Supervisors on April 2 and was received by Shasta Scout recently in response to a public records request. 

The Board needs to appoint a new Registrar of Voters soon to fill a seat vacated by the retirement of the County’s elected Clerk and ROV Cathy Darling Allen, on May 4. Whoever is appointed to the position will hold the seat until the end of Darling Allen’s elected term in office, through 2026.

In his cover letter to the board, Ken Michaud said that an effective ROV must be prepared to respond to allegations of election fraud, even if they’re not accurate. 

“Various allegations of systemic fraud in the election process in Shasta County have been made,” Ken Michaud wrote, “but no evidence to substantiate the allegations [has] been put forth. An allegation is not evidence. Nonetheless, [there is an] obligation to address the allegations, whether the allegations are backed by evidence or not. The ROV, like any public official, must proficiently and convincingly respond to allegations of fraud to maintain public confidence in the workings of government.”

On February 27, Ken Michaud used a public comment to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors to critique a widely-debunked theory known as the “Mesa Pattern of Fraud.”  He says his speech that day is an example of the kind of firm rebuke needed to counter unreasonable claims of election fraud. At the same time, Michaud says, any reasonable allegations against the Elections Office must also be carefully considered and appropriately responded to.

Neither Lisa nor Ken Michaud have responded to Shasta Scout over the last few weeks but according to his resume, Ken Michaud holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has worked as a Construction Safety Coordinator for CalTrans since 2021 and before that as a Traffic Project Coordinator for Redding’s Department of Public Works. He appears to have moved to the County in 2019. 

Ken Michaud says his qualifications for the position of Registrar of Voters include his ability to assess probability, to handle plans, specifications and contracts, to provide oversight up to eight individuals, and insights he gleaned from his poll worker experience during the March 5 election.  

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Crye has not responded to a request for comment on Michaud’s application for the position. But at his weekly Kaleidoscope Coffee meeting on Friday, May 3, Crye said that the board, which has not yet publicly discussed the process of filling Darling Allen’s seat, is considering four individuals for the position. 

One of those who will be considered, Crye has confirmed, is Joanna Francescut, the county’s current Assistant Registrar of Voters. Francescut has worked in the elections office since 2008 and was in charge of running the March 5 primary. She’s essentially served as acting ROV, without the title, since Darling Allen stepped back from her work for medical reasons several months ago. Francesut’s role since then has included overseeing a staff of twenty-one while running a complex primary election that included preparation for a recount.

A few weeks ago, Francescut attended Crye’s weekly coffee event. Asked by Crye in front of the group if she had any questions for him, she responded quickly.

“I’d like to know what you’re looking for in a new ROV,” she said.

Crye told Francescut he wants someone who will push, within state law boundaries, to count votes within ten days of an election and who will focus on “cleaning up” the voter rolls. 

With appropriate funding for staffing, Francescut told Shasta Scout later, she could come close to meeting Crye’s ten-day goal for vote counting while still following the state’s requirements on mail-in ballots and confirmation of signatures. 

“We could count most of the votes within ten days,” she said. 

As for improving the accuracy of voter rolls, Francescut said, that is a consistent and ongoing process which will continue to be prioritized by the Elections Office should she be appointed as the new ROV. 

Supervisors Crye, Chris Kelstrom, Tim Garman, and Mary Rickert have all expressed appreciation for Francescut’s work and significant trust in her supervision over the recent election. 

Supervisor Patrick Jones has not. Today, May 7, Jones will ask the Board to appoint a new Elections Commissioner to replace his previous appointee, Bev Gray. He hopes to appoint Patty Plumb who recently announced that she’s a spokesperson for Laura Hobb, a failed candidate for supervisor who is currently suing the Elections Office.

Asked if he intends to appoint a replacement for Lisa Michaud on the Elections Commission, Crye said he would take time to consider an appointment but is currently focused on appointing a new ROV.

Supervisors Garman and Rickert have previously said they won’t fill the seats vacated by the Commissioners they each appointed because they believe the Elections Commission is a waste of public resources.

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