‘Ready to file suit immediately’: State departments say they’re on standby statewide to stop any unlawful activities during June 2 election
The statement comes a day before the June 2 primary and just days after a new law was signed that prohibits law enforcement officers from interfering with state elections. Election official Clint Curtis said the new law “will not restore trust to an election system many already mistrust.”
The primary election is tomorrow, and a spokesperson for the California Attorney General’s Office said in an email statement today that the office has “attorneys on standby who are ready to file suit immediately to enforce election laws and stop any unlawful activity on Election Day.”
The statement was made in regards to election jurisdictions across California but may have increased relevance in Shasta County.
It comes just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that bans law enforcement officers from interfering with state elections. The new law criminalizes the act of taking voted ballots from the custody of a local election official, something Riverside County Sheriff and gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco did earlier this year. Shasta County Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis was the one to break the news.
The new law also prohibits county registrars from surrendering ballots or voting equipment to law enforcement agents, even if a search warrant is presented.
Safeguards were also included in the law that permit the attorney general and secretary of state to override the authority of a county election official in some circumstances, such as if the official stages armed personnel near polling places.
Reporting from CalMatters last week indicated that this provision of the ballot may have been intended to address election officials like Curtis, who has expressed interest in working with the federal Department of Justice.
Today, Curtis said in an email statement that he is unaware if the new law has anything to do with him, adding that he thinks it’s a “terrible precedent to try to limit law enforcement investigations about anything.” He didn’t answer a question about whether he intends to cooperate with federal law enforcement in the future.
He also said he doesn’t know who lawmakers of the bill think is a better source for an investigation than law enforcement, comparing the new law to the “defund the police” movement.
“Limiting the ability of police from doing their job does not make the citizens safer,” he said, “and redistricting law enforcement from investigating election fraud will not restore trust to an election system many already mistrust.”
Shasta Assistant ROV Brent Turner confirmed today that officials from the state Attorney General’s Office have already arrived at the elections office ahead of tomorrow’s election. Observers from California’s Secretary of State will also be present for Shasta’s election, that office confirmed today, though Turner said they have not yet arrived. Officials from both offices were also present at Shasta’s special election last November.
In an emailed statement to Shasta Scout today, the secretary of state reminded voters to cast their ballots as early as possible, though it noted that voters have rights to vote free from intimidation and to remain in line even as polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
State offices also said they will be available tomorrow to field questions, concerns and reports from the public and local officials. The Secretary of State’s Voter Hotline can be reached at 800-345-8683. For assistance in a different language, click here.
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“and redistricting law enforcement from investigating election fraud will not restore trust to an election system many already mistrust.” The Big Lie has already been thoroughly investigated and thoroughly debunked in over 60 court rooms. Curtis was grafted into our county government by Kevin Crye and his MAGA puppets using Trumps BIG LIE as a battering ram to dismantle our county government. There is not a single case of certified voter fraud in Shasta County.
You clearly don’t watch the news! Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin are under intense investigation. Massive fraud has already been found to have occurred. Even CNN has admitted fraud. What’s it gonna take for you?
Did you say under intense investigation? Let me know when they’re found guilty. Not gonna happen but you just keep on waiting.
Someone needs to trail Laura Hobbs and Richie Gallardo if they’re sent out to collect ballots from polling places, especially now that Con-man Curtis has “poll closers” sorting “good ballots” from “garbage ballots” at the polling places. Those three are crookeder than Highway 40 over Berthoud Pass. I have zero faith in the chain of custody that Curtis has implemented, in large part because many of the links in the chain are bad actors—hair-on-fire MAGA partisans who will do whatever it takes to secure their preferred outcomes.
According to the state we have no problems with elections. No law enforcement officers have ever been convicted of interfered with elections. The thought of it is absurd.
Why isn’t Sacramento solving the real problems we have as a state instead of posturing for political gain.
I’m sick and tired of their lack of leadership.
“No law enforcement officers have ever been convicted of interfered with elections.”. What about Chad Bianco illegally seizing 650,000 ballots based on nothing more than claims by “a group of private individuals “?
Those ballots were legally seized as it is his job to react to crimes ! The sheriff has ultimate authority in each district that he serves. The Democrats have no choice other than to litigate. Their legislation sucks every time. So they litigate.
What was the crime again? Go ahead we’ll wait.
LOLOLOL! thanks for the good laugh, seriously!
Curtis and his jolly band of hatriots on blast with the State? Congrats! Well deserved!
Curtis whines about the law not helping “an election system many already mistrust” but most of the mistrust has been ginned up by dishonest shills like Curtis.
It’s a relief to know the state attorney general and secretary of state both have staff here looking over Curtis’s shoulder.
It is also refreshing to know that there is serious surveillance of dropbox and polling places here in Shasta County.
What a bunch of silly bafflegab. If people mistrust elections, it’s because charlatans like Curtis, Hobbs and Jones keep insisting there is fraud where none exists. Zip. Nada. As Carl Sagan said, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.” There has been none. If there is suspicion of fraud, the Secretary of State would have jurisdiction, not some hopped up local gunsel like Bianco. Clintie must be soiling his clown suit. Everyone is watching him now, so it will be much harder for him to pull any shenanigans.
Selah
A competent RoV on the day before an important election – only the second election they’ve ever supervised – would be double-checking details. Clint does his own thing: whatever that is. As for “defunding the police”, Clint wanted to take money from the Sheriff’s budget to pay for his expensive, nutty schemes. Even his flunkies on the Board wouldn’t go that far.