ROV Curtis oversees shredding of 2024 ballots amid activist protest
Several dozen people protested the mandatory shredding of 2024 ballots at the election office today. Amid the chaos, election official Clint Curtis supervised the proceedings with his signature cheerfulness.
As staffers with Hemsted Record Management pulled up to the back alley behind the Shasta Elections Office at 8 a.m. this morning, they were greeted by a crowd of protesters.
Hemsted staffers were on site to shred the November 2024 Shasta elections ballots as required by law and contracted by elections official Clint Curtis. They waited inside their company truck for several minutes before braving the angry crowd. As they began pulling out the equipment needed to move ballots, some activists accused them of committing a crime, comparing shredding the ballots to being the getaway driver during a robbery.
The several dozen activists assembled were mostly recognizable as vocal supporters of Measure B, a local election law that’s currently suspended by the courts because it appears to be illegal to implement.
Activist and recently hired Shasta elections staffer Ron Plumb served as their leader. Speaking on a microphone, he prayed for protection over the 2024 ballots as Hemsted employees entered a loading elevator leading up to where the ballots were being stored on the second floor of the Market Street Office.
Shortly after, Hemsted staffers reappeared in the elevator bay with grey trash cans filled with 2024 ballot materials. They rolled the first container to the truck where it was lifted overhead and dumped inside amid the shouts of protesters.
“What you’re doing is illegal,” Plumb said on microphone, making a reference to the guilt of Nazi war criminals during the Nuremberg trials. Around him others called out “you’re committing a crime!”
Hemsted staffers continued impassively, and without comment. Not long after, two Shasta County Sheriff’s deputies appeared on scene, accompanying the employees as they moved up and down the freight elevator with election cargo. With about 50,000 ballots to shred, the scene repeated itself dozens of times as protesters filmed, held signs and milled around discussing their concerns.
Activists on site today have said they believe there is evidence of fraud hidden among 2024 election materials. Their attempts to prove such fraud in court have failed. So did a last-minute attempt a few weeks ago to use the courts to stop ballot destruction.
California’s election code dictates that ballots should be retained for a period of 22 months, then recycled or destroyed. That retention period ended on Sept. 5. It’s a reality that has left Shasta’s election official Clint Curtis — who has said he sympathizes with activists’ concerns — with no legal choice but to shred the ballots today, several weeks past the mandatory state deadline.
Inside the elections office, Hemsted staffers pulled boxes down from the shelves of a storage room and loaded them onto carts before placing them in trash cans and taking them back down the freight elevator to be dumped into the truck.
Curtis oversaw the proceedings with his usual cheerfulness, surrounded by additional protesters along with members of the media and several top county staffers. Social media influencer Arne List, who filed the court appeal several weeks ago in an attempt to stop ballot destruction, stood next to Curtis much of the time, filming everything as he spoke to his followers on live video.
Among others in the building was Shasta County CEO David Rickert who nodded politely as activist Elisa Ballard — who wore a Shasta Unfiltered press badge — scolded him for the shredding, which she referred to as illegal. As Shasta County Counsel Joseph Larmour walked past down the hall, an activist holding a flag on a wooden flagpole yelled out at him, calling him a “scumbag”.
Curtis has delayed ballot destruction twice over the last few weeks, prompting warnings and admonitions from both the county and the Secretary of State’s Office.
He told a reporter today that he doesn’t think the ballots should be shredded, but said he moved forward with the ballot destruction process anyway because he’s been told it’s required by law.
See more photos below.
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Here’s the law regarding the required destruction of 2024 Presidential General Election ballots and envelopes and the two items that would stop the destruction after 22 months.
Elections Code section 17301(c)
If a contest is not commenced within the 22-month period, or if a criminal prosecution involving fraudulent use, marking or falsification of ballots, or forgery of vote by mail voters’ signatures is not commenced within the 22-month period, either of which may involve the vote of the precinct from which voted ballots were received, the elections official shall have the items identified in subdivision (b) destroyed or recycled. The packages shall otherwise remain unopened until the items are destroyed or recycled.
It is interesting that the supervisors meeting scheduled for today that actually took registration and sent a verification was canceled at the last minute. Does anybody know why?
What’s God have to do with it.Nothing about this is illegal.These election deniers are ignorant Can we just move forward ?
The BoS meeting for today at 3:00, to discuss pending litigation, has been canceled.
My conspiracy theory is that it has been an delay, delay, delay tactic while the election denier leaders are trying hard to obtain voting records with actual votes cast by voter names for extended scrutiny. Scrutiny not for identifying any fraud. Fraud on a meaningful scale would have been identified by now with ROV and the deniers actually working in the elections department. It is scrutiny of individuals, where they work, what businesses they own any family, friends, and associates they may have to elected and appointed positions throughout the County, any associated government funded contracts to any of the forementioned as well as influential persons of interest in their own party. A possible end goal of intimidation and attempted financial ramifications to their wellbeing based upon a legal vote cast for someone or something they themselves dint support. Didnt Crye want access to voter rolls to see who voted for him to be recalled? Isn’t that about the same time of the election committee being established? Didn’t the commission also ask for the same information? At worst it is a dedicated effort to subvert the will of the people and suppress any opposition they encounter. From committees, school boards, mosquito districts, water boards and approved service contracts- Your personal voting record or the voting records of those you associate with may exclude you from consideration.
My concern is where those ballots had been stored and if they were in the same room as the June 2026 ballots that Curtis himself says includes fraudulent ballots. I would not be surprised if suddenly Curtis discovers that some of the 2026 ballots were accidently included in this 2024 shredding. And of course blame some sort of conspiracy.
Curtis finally got his 15 minutes/seconds? of fame with the article in the Washington Post. PJ was quoted whining about his 2024 loss. The article was truthful and made Shasta County residents sound like a bunch of MAGA hat wearing rubes. Not a good look for the rest of us. With all that Shasta County has to offer what a shame that this is what are know for.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/10/04/shasta-countys-election-chief-lost-then-he-locked-up-ballots/
Curtis lost…
Jones lost…
Gallardo lost…
Hobbs lost…..
My opinion, next time they sue they need to be declared “vexatious litigants” by the Shasta County court system
Did Gallardo get like 100 votes ? Why is he even a conspiracy theorist ? He cant possibly think people realy like him ? Same with PhD Laura hobbs ! No body voted for there asses ! The county knows there crazy !
“The Slogan: The phrase “An Appeal to Heaven” comes directly from the writings of 17th-century English philosopher John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government. Locke argued that when people are oppressed by an unjust ruler and have no legal remedy left on Earth, they have the right to revolt and appeal directly to a higher authority (God) for justice.”
You know, like the nuts that stormed the Capital.
Law enforcement needs to watch these people like a hawk.
Thank you, Solberg, for pointing that out. In fact, not only has the Pine Tree Flag been co-opted by white nationalists- pro-fascists- as a reason to form militias and defend Trumpism, and the Pine Tree and the Upside Down flags were flown by the 06 insurrectionists, but also both flags were flown briefly at SCOTUS Justice Alito’s house, who has a 100% pro-trump voting record, and Alito publicly stated he strongly disagreed with the Warren Court’s Establishment Clause decisions!
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What is very important is that Locke’s political philosophy strongly advocated for separation of church and state.
How can something be co-opted by the same people who originated it?
Trumps neofascist movement did not invent the Pine Tree flag. They co-opted it to fit their white nationalist fascist
agenda
By the way, country star Zach Bryan wore an “Appeal to Heaven” pine tree on his shirt Saturday night — that logo directly below the headline-generating “Free Palestine.”
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(context: Bryan wore the shirt at Gillette Stadium which is owned by Robert Kraft. Kraft was the Zionist/ethnosupremacist who got Macklemore blackballed from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour over Macklemore’s support of Palestine). https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/zach-bryan-free-palestine-shirt-gillette-stadium-robert-kraft/
Interesting!
Why were these fools even allowed in the ROV office to harass contractors carrying out a perfectly legal function?
Selah
Exactly the question! Why were they allowed in? It’s just lucky that they didn’t try to start something risky.
Protesters: predominantly boomers and most of them overweight…what a disgrace are those individuals!
I’m extremely tired of these silly people but, c’mon, what’s their weight and age have to do with anything? Also, PSA – many Boomers are retired so, more free time.
They’re all undone because the June 2024 election is their Great White Whale. Lonesome Jones got blown out, Hobbs couldn’t manage to get into a runoff. It’s when all their delusions and fantasies began to fall apart, and all their dreams died in court. Now, even with their own fabulist in charge, Crye gets blown out and Kelstrom is hanging by a thread. The destruction of the ballots is the definitive end of their hopes. Sucks to be them.
Selah
Thank you
Will Joanna be able to fire the bat-shit crazy staffers that Curtis hired?
This! 100%. Most likely- if this employee has been with the county for more than a year and passed probation then they have a “property right to their job” and can’t be terminated easily. Joanna would have to go through the progressive discipline process which can take time to get rid of these nut-jobs that Curtis has hired. She’s definitely going to have her work cut out for her….
They may not all be employees. I think one article I read said Hobbs was hired as a “consultant”. If they are not regular employees, the contracts can simply be terminated. It would make sense that Curtis would try to circumvent the HR department. Of course, they could resign en masse as a matter of principle. Won’t be holding my breath on that one.
Selah
Many have not been there a year, what then?
If I understood correctly, regular employees with less than one year of service can be let go without cause or justification. If they were hired as regular employees, they have all probably been there over a year. I just don’t know enough about the mechanics of the process to know for sure. Whatever the correct legal process may be, they all have to go. Can’t have even stupid foxes guarding the henhouse.
Selah
Consider the Looney Tunes blues crew finished. They can cry from whatever hole they crept out of, my God.
If there is evidence of election fraud in the election office and Mr. Plumb works there, then why hasn’t he uncovered it?
I want to know why Ron Plumb why is trying to cover up election fraud?
Agree or disagree with the folks protesting shredding of the ballots, you’ve got to give them credit for civilly exercising their constitutional rights while most others just sit on their butts at home and complain. On a related note, I am troubled the ballots were not preserved until after completion of an investigation into their authenticity. What’s the big hurry so long as they are properly secured and remain critical to ensuring the integrity of our election process.
The ballots that they shredded were from 2024. They were over 22 months old. I wouldn’t call waiting that long a “rush” to destroy them.
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Besides, the so-called ballots that “smelt and felt” wrong were the ones from the most recent election. They were a completely different set of ballots than the ones that were just destroyed.
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And also these election deniers get no credit for anything. It’s the same dozen people repeating themselves over and over even though they don’t have a single shred of evidence to support any of their claims. Not a single shred.
You cannot complete an investigation that was never started. Curtis has been ROV long enough to have substantiated an actual investigation, if he had proof. California law requires old ballots to be destroyed. Most people (Dem or Rep) would say law should be followed unless there is solid proof that the law is wrong. Not following election law is an actual threat to election integrity. If Curtis breaks this law, what else might he do?
I’d be happier if this group sat on their butts at home and complained (I’m sure they do that as well). Nothing like never-ending misery porn to feed the disgruntled few.
We have time limits on challenging election results for a reason. If there was any error in the vote count, I would want to know immediately, not years later. Otherwise, a measure or winning candidate would be implemented or installed before the error, if any, is determined. These election deniers do not have any basis for concern. Their goal is to sow distrust so voters stop voting. They must believe their voters are the only ones who know it is a ruse will continue to vote, while those they try to fool skip voting.
Wouldn’t you think that with an election denier running the ROV office and having hired his little coterie of the faithful, that if there was 2024 election fraud they would have found it. If those 2024 ballots haven’t been reviewed by them and sniffed out for fraud it is their own fault. They had the chance to prove the fraudulent election they so fervently claim to have existed and if they didn’t find it there was no evidence to destroy. Just ordinary ballots past their shelf date.
Thanks for the link to the pine tree flag. Interesting history.
The same few were at the RPD to protest whatever, and one clever person described the scene as “tens of protesters showed up.” It’ll be interesting to see how the BoS meetings go once a sane majority is on the dais. Will the few vocal stalwarts still attend once crye and (I hope) kelstrom are gone? And will Joanna and her staff be able to mange the RoV office without interference from the “tens of protesters”?
The intentional buffoonery of these Clint Curtis trumpers is dangerous. What’s also dangerous is this Saturday’s, October 3, 2026, Shasta County kiss-up response: “The County appreciates ROV Curtis and County staff for their coordination and efforts to ensure that this statutory records-management obligation was fulfilled in accordance with applicable law.” Oh really? The county appreciates Curtis for finally following the law? Gee whiz, who wrote that? What is the county going to give everyday taxpayers who follow the law every day, all day long?
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Curtis is the guy who has repeatedly threatened to sue our county, the guy who called some supervisors idiots, the guy reprimanded for “substantiated managerial misconduct”, and who the county reprimanded, stating, “We condemn Mr. Curtis’ action of excluding the press and encourage him to maintain a high level of transparency and access to public information, “ This is the guy who tried to dodge the law until it became obvious he wasn’t going to get away with it, and trump wasn’t going to help him break the law. What’s next? Will the county give Curtis an Employee of the Year award at tomorrow’s supervisors’ meeting? Here’s what’s dangerous.
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Curtis is the guy who tried to hire Trump’s lawyer, P. Ticktin, and convicted election-fraud felon T. Peters, both calling for the adjudicated rapist to order Martial Law (a replacement of civilian government and legal processes by military rule) to reject the Nov. 03 election, and he’s still in the ROV office. And he has employed lying MAGA court-failed election losers to “supervise” our elections. Who is the next hire? Arne List, a failed litigation loser and election liar who’s not employed at the ROV’s office and isn’t even from Shasta County, is shown in this article standing alone and unsupervised in the room the FBI recently locked up?
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Shasta County’s shameful at-a-boy response seems like an appeasement to local MAGA and an attempt to normalize Curtis’ attempts to evade election law. This is a normalization of support for neo-fascism by their leader, a convicted 34-count felon who, along with local and national MAGA, is trying to overthrow our elections and the government of the United States of America. And nope, that trumpinan crap is not normal!
Because the shredding operation was executed rapidly on Saturday morning under heavy security and amid chaotic protests, the county has not yet published an itemized receipt detailing exactly which boxes were processed and which were withheld.
In other words, you (RoV Curtis) weren’t able to do the work because of “chaotic protests”, which were led by people you hired to work in the RoV office. Will these chaotic protesters who knowingly disrupted official business be fired?
Wow, that’s very interesting. Looks like another cpra for tomorrow morning…
Big surprise that it was Ron plumb and the same dozen “activists”.
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It’s always the same old crowd.
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Apparently they don’t have to work or are retired, (or something,) because they can spend day after day shouting about election fraud nonsense when there is still not a single shred of evidence to support their claim.
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Isn’t it also funny that most of these people yelling about election fraud have some type of background that they probably don’t want others to know about?
“..not a single shred of evidence..”
There’s *lots* of shreds now!
Mental health is of HUGE concern in Shasta.