Here’s how delays in postmarking, reduction in ballot boxes, could affect Shasta voters this fall
California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta has shared information about changes in postal policies that will require rural Californians to mail their ballots prior to election day, or risk losing their vote. The timing of the changes coincides with a significant reduction in Shasta’s ballot drop box locations. Here’s what you need to know.
On Thursday Oct. 2, California Attorney General Rob Bonta updated voters on an important change in the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) operations that will affect voting by mail.
In parts of rural California located more than 50 miles away from a USPS regional hub, mail is now postmarked the day after it’s collected – whether it’s picked up directly from a post office or at a personal mailbox. For Shasta community members, the closest regional hub is in Sacramento, meaning all of the North State is affected by this change.
In the context of voting by mail, that means that ballots mailed on Election Day will not be postmarked until the following day, rendering them invalid. Voters who plan to vote by mail, Bonta emphasized, must mail their ballots at least one day before Election Day for their vote to be counted.
The Attorney General’s office also provided alternative recommendations to ensure voting access:
- Drop off your ballot at a ballot drop-off box. Ballot drop-off boxes will open on October 7, 2025 and remain open until 8 pm on Election Day.
- If you’re cutting it close, drop off your completed mail ballot at any polling place on Election Day.
- If you can’t make it to a polling place, you can go to any post office and ask the clerk at the counter for a same-day postmark on your ballot to ensure you get credit for mailing your ballot on time.
In 2024, 86% of Shasta County voters submitted vote by mail ballots, many of which were dropped in ballot drop boxes or at polling places. This rate is slightly higher than the state–wide average of 81% of Californians who receive their ballots through the mail, as opposed to the 20% who fill out their ballots in person at a voting booth on Election Day.
New local changes also mean fewer ballot drop boxes
Those who opt to use drop boxes to submit their ballot this year should be advised that about two-thirds of Shasta County’s ballot box locations have been recently eliminated by newly appointed Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis. There are now only four ballot drop boxes in Shasta County, the legal minimum. Those drop boxes include one at the Shasta County Elections Office in downtown Redding, another at the Redding City Hall, one at the Anderson City Hall, and one at the Shasta Lake Visitor Center. Nine drop box locations have been eliminated, some in the most rural parts of the county including locations in Shingletown, Cottonwood, and Burney.
Why eliminate so many ballot drop boxes?
Curtis told Shasta Scout last week that his decision to minimize the number of ballot drop boxes was to reduce the expense of having staff retrieve ballots from drop boxes, some of which were located more than an hour’s drive from the election office. He also expressed concern about the security of the ballots during transport.
In other parts of the country, drop boxes have come under increased scrutiny since the 2020 election. Misinformation campaigns have claimed ballot boxes were the sites of massive fraud – statements that misproven by law enforcement. Curtis mentioned no such concerns in his comments to reporters about ballot drop boxes last week.
With fewer ballot drop boxes in the county, Curtis is encouraging people who previously used that service to vote by mail instead, a process he believes is more secure. He has not yet shared a press release about how changes to postmark dates will affect their vote. And he did not respond when asked whether the elections office plans to inform the public of the change in ballot drop boxes.
Eliminating drop boxes may affect the length of time it takes county staff to count ballots, a process that will already be tested this election by Curtis’ experimental vision to live stream ballot processings, something he plans to implement for the first time in November.
Joanna Francescut, the at-will former assistant ROV and veteran elections worker who was fired by Curtis days after he took office, told the county board in public statements earlier this year that drop boxes help hasten the time it takes to count the votes and declare the election. That’s because ballots dropped in drop boxes reach county elections officials more quickly than those sent by mail.
She responded to questions on this topic during her public interview for the position of ROV in April. After being pressed by Supervisor Kevin Crye on whether she would fulfill his desire to eliminate drop boxes around the county, she acquiesced, with a caveat.
“The reason why we have so many drop boxes is because we have 3800 square miles in Shasta County, and we have a rural population,” Francescut said. “I want to know whether counting ballots faster and getting the count done 10 days post-election is a higher priority for you, or cutting drop boxes. I can’t do both.”
Today, she clarified for Shasta Scout that ballots mailed out just before Election Day usually don’t reach the election office for 2–3 days, slowing counting. In contrast drop boxes, she said, serve as a more “direct line” to elections staff, as workers gather the ballots from drop boxes across the county and take them straight to the elections office either before, or on, Election Day.
Do you have information or a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
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I’m going to take my completed ballot to the drop box at my polling place on election night. This saves the county postage money as well as bypasses the USPS involvement and makes one more ballot to be counted at the end of the election. Since they think hand counting will be so fast and easy, and they promote one day voting, don’t give them many ballots to count BEFORE election night.
San Bernardino County has ballot drop boxes in Trona and Needles. The Trona drop box is a 145-mile drive one way from the Registrar of Voters office in San Bernardino. The Needles drop box is a 214-mile drive one way.
The opening statement of how the United States Postal Service will affect or could affect the elections is all you need to know! What a fucking joke
Seriously! Biden’s United States Postal Service! Am I right?? Let’s go back to the good ol’ days of voting by Pony Express! Just make sure to include a bit of alfalfa with your ballot to ensure it gets counted. If only there were another option? Oh well.
Biden? Oh, that explains it. But, wait. It appears that David Steiner, the former CEO of Waste Management, is a Trump nominee who built his brand on union-busting, slashing jobs, and replacing workers with machines, and has publicly bragged about shrinking the union. WOW. “If these reports are true, it is a blatant conflict of interest and an attempt by President Trump to install a handpicked loyalist who he believes will put his interests over what may be best for the Postal Service and the American people…The American people deserve a postmaster general who will stand up for an independent, fair, and accessible Postal Service and who will work with Congress to ensure Americans in all communities nationwide can continue to rely on this public service to deliver mail, medications, ballots, and more without prejudice.” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Well, I don’t know, seems we can’t blame it on Biden after all. But, as far as Hillary goes, as Trump says, LOCK HER UP…. Sure, Donald, after you release the Epstein Files.
Could you please elaborate on your thoughts for the non-MAGAs?
Thanks
Nevin. Thank you! ROV Curtis (a proven liar?) and assistant Brent (a so-called Democrat?) seem to be all about restricting the vote and using as many tools as they can muster to do that. This will affect our right to vote, and now they have another tool to do just that. Of course, their NEW ROV team, Hobbs, and the Shasta Five, who are pushing an illegal “Mr. Pillow – Trump” ballot measure for June next year, are now on the payroll, so Brent and Curtis are going to have a lot of help. If you are concerned about our ROV working with Trump’s DOJ, as Clint says, criminally “indict” the past ROV and Assistant ROV, and are concerned about Clint turning over social security numbers, CADMV information – driver’s license numbers, AND ALL our voter rolls to Trump…. you should be. You can send a letter or a card to: The Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee, 1020 N Street, Room 533, Sacramento, CA 95814.
The California Assembly Elections Committee, 1020 N Street, Room 365, Sacramento, CA 95814.
California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D.
Elections Division, 1500 11th Street, Sacramento, California 95814.
Mr. Rob Bonta, California Attorney General. Office of the Attorney General, 1300 “I” Street, Sacramento, CA 95814-2919
United States Senator Alex Padilla 501 I Street, Suite 7-800 Sacramento, CA 95814
Assembly Member Pellerin. 1021 O Street, Suite 6310, Sacramento, CA 95814
It’s such a curious move that drop boxes have been removed from rural Shasta County. Rural voters tend to be conservative. I wonder why the ROV wants to make it more difficult for rural citizens to vote.
Between ROV Curtis, and Supervisor Kevin Crye on whether to fulfill his desire to eliminate drop boxes around the county. I foresee Shasta County’s voters will lose.
For Supervisor Kevin Crye to be so hyped up about counting votes matter more than costs, eliminating the drop boxes may backfire! Voters will be looking for Curtis and Crye when their votes aren’t counted!
Whew! Suuuuper glad Cap’n Curtis is at the helm steering this ship, otherwise a curveball like this might be a bigger deal? In unrelated news, what’s it called when you technically have the right to vote, but your vote isn’t counted? Asking for a friend.
I predict this upcoming election is going to be a total fouled up mess and there are only 1 or 2 items on our ballots.
So nice that Kelstrom and Harmon voted for an ROV guy that has made voting more difficult for their constituents to be part of the election.
Curtis says he wants to save money.
By not having to pay staff to drive around picking up ballot boxes.
Did the “eliminated” boxes get physically removed? How much did that cost?
Do we have to pay for the extra postage? Did anyone pencil this out?
This is how Curtis believes he is being fiscally responsible with my tax money? Not a fan.
Yes, Shasta County taxpayers will pay postage costs for all ballots returned by mail so I doubt this decision to eliminate most drop boxes will save money. The other changes I hope you will look into are: 1) if in fact he is eliminating electronic poll pads at polling places in favor of paper poll pads-will that impact time to process and tabulate ballots cast in person? 2) since he cancelled a contract that was used to track if a voter has voted more than once, how will this type of fraud be detected? Over voting is the most common type of voter fraud.
Brad: Thanks for the heads up on the contract. Will check into that. He has announced that he is eliminating electronic poll pads. Poll workers tell me this will increase their time to check in voters.
When you cancel a contract, the vendor typically doesn’t just say “oh you agreed in writing to pay for this, but now you don’t want to, that’s fine.”
Do we still owe money on that cancelled contract? Is this a “I cancelled the contract so we don’t have access to that service but we are still paying for it” situation?
I can tell you after working several major elections that Shasta County voters are the most patient and understanding true patriots you will ever encounter. Having to wait in line for a simple check-in will be no problem! There’s no challenge they aren’t willing to band together and overcome as a community! (lol)