“A social experiment”: Shasta’s extra help election staffers include outspoken opponents of former election officials
Temporary election staffers are currently training on ballot processing under election official Clint Curtis. Newly hired extra help staffers include some of the most outspoken critics of his predecessors in the role.
This morning, Oct. 20, extra help election workers took their seats at and around folding tables on the first floor of the Market Street Election Office. They were there to learn how to process vote-by-mail ballots for California’s special Nov. 4 election — using procedures put in place by newly-appointed election official Clint Curtis.
Seated directly at the tables were a number of temporary staffers who’ve worked prior elections. Situated around them were new temporary staffers who are learning to process ballots for the first time. The new workers include familiar faces known to the Shasta County public as outspoken election activists.
Ron and Patty Plumb, who lead the Shasta branch of the New California State movement, were in attendance, wearing official Shasta election staff badges. Lori Jones, wife of former Shasta supervisor Patrick Jones, has also been hired as extra help for this election along with Michelle Renee Tyson, a former candidate for the Shasta County Board of Education.
Other well known activists hired as extra help include Bev Gray who stepped down as an election commissioner after voicing a controversial election radio ad. And Antonia Palacio, who served as a witness in a lawsuit filed by former county board candidate Laura Hobbs — also a new election staffer — against the Shasta Election Office last year. That case was later thrown out.
Full-time election staffer Anna Rodriguez, who formerly served under Registrars of Voters Tom Toller and Cathy Darling, led Monday’s training. “She’s fantastic,” current election official Curtis leaned over to inform a Shasta Scout reporter, as Rodriguez spoke to extra help staffers in her signature tone: unhurried and interspersed with informal humorous remarks that appeared intended to put the group at ease.
There was no palpable tension among the part-time staffers, despite the group’s disparate history at the election office. Around half of the new workers have served as observers during past elections, with some submitting declarations regarding their observations in a second court case against the county election office that was filed earlier this year. The majority of that court case was also thrown out.
In comments to Shasta Scout reporters this morning, Curtis said he was told to anticipate turmoil while processing ballots for the election. Some told him, he said, that he would be dealing with numerous election observers who would be arguing with him and others on staff. That hasn’t been the case, he said.
Asked if that’s because he’s hired many of those who used to express concerns to Shasta election workers over ballot processes, Curtis acknowledged as much, saying “neither side is the monster — they’re just people who want to see something.”
“It’s a social experiment,” Assistant Registrar of Voters Brent Turner said, noting that he believes involving former critics of the election office as staff may “inoculate” those who remain skeptical of Shasta County’s election process.
Do you have information or a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
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I’ve worked the election for years and was tortured by some of these people but I must say I’m glad they are now working side by side and seeing how hard this work is how much goes into an election and how careful you must be protecting the ballots and ALWAYS having others watch and partners with you as you handle any part of the election. I know the elections are secure and I’m so proud of what they do. So I hope this will stop the crazy conspiracy talk that was started by our county council and cost our county millions.
A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT !
That time is past.
No experimenting on my voting rights
So very “generous” of the Assistant ROV to use our election to conduct a “social experiment.” Brent Turner has been advocating for “open source” voting for decades and has been unsuccessful, until now. It really is no wonder the SOS’s office will be in Shasta County in full force conducting their own observation. The current ROV believes hiring “election activists” will put to rest the lack of trust in the elections office….it won’t. They are still defending the “Italian satellites, and dead dictator conspiracy theories…..Still here we are.
Regarding the conclusion that open source voting advocacy has been “unsuccessful “ I would refer readers to the positive deployment reviews of the Open Source voting systems in New Hampshire and Mississippi The upgraded system deployment continues yes to evolve
I personally voted early at the ROV office. I opened my ballot as I was going to vote. Mr. Curtis was kind enough to ask me if I would like to walk through the entire process. His staff were extremely accommodating and everybody who was training had big smiles on their faces. The transparency is unmatched. Anybody who says otherwise is full of shit.
Two words: Tina Peters (nine years).
So he has literally put the foxes in the hen house! What a moron this fool is!
The fact that these community 2020 election deniers are being given a front seat is VERY concerning to me. They will have access to voter information that they could use in nefarious ways– several have a history of doxing other residents.
Because I am visiting my little grandson and out-of-state, I held my breath when I mailed my ballot yesterday. The fact that these proven liars will be processing it makes me very uncertain, and I have never felt that in my nearly 50 yrs of voting.
I blame Corkey Harmon who was the deciding vote with putting Curtis in the job. It is Corkey’s FAULT.
The last elections, when I turned in my ballot I received a text a day or two later. This year I have not received that recognition. It must be an oversight that the service has not been put in force.
Maria: We’ll look into this. We’ve heard concerns from a few others.
It took a little over a week after I put it in the city hall drop box to finally receive confirmation that they had it.
Concerning Measure A–
If you trust the government, vote Yes
If you don’t trust the government, vote NO
You seem very interested in the elections office, personnel, and operations. Might I suggest an in depth article or research into why during the last 2 elections our previous ROV didn’t follow the Secretary of States Alpha Draw order but instead did her own alpha draw.
I still have my ballot from last year and others have theirs that can be shown for proof.
Dan: We covered the court case that was filed over this.
Wasn’t that the case thrown out of court by the judge after stating there was a woeful lack of evidence?
Oh yes, there was a court case about this that was thrown out for “profound” lack of evidence.
Someone is a sore loser.