Shasta elections official in violation of state law for not destroying November 2024 ballots, county attorney says
According to state law, the ballots were supposed to be retained only through Sept. 5, 2026. Litigation filed last week in an attempt to delay the destruction of ballots has failed, the county’s attorney said. Curtis did not respond to a request for comment.
Shasta County Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis is in violation of state law for not destroying November 2024 ballots, county attorney Joseph Larmour says.
According to California elections code, voted ballots from federal elections are required to be destroyed or recycled 22 months after the election takes place. A letter sent by Secretary of State Shirley Weber to all county elections officials in April clearly laid out that timeline, stating that the 22-month retention period for the November 2024 election ended on Sept. 5, but Curtis still hasn’t destroyed them.
He told Shasta Scout last Friday that he had intended to send the ballots to a shredding service on Sept. 11 but held off due to litigation filed two days prior, saying he was awaiting instruction from the secretary of state or county counsel.
During today’s board of supervisors meeting, Larmour explained that last week’s litigation was filed by an individual named Arne List in an attempt to get a temporary restraining order to prevent Curtis from destroying the ballots. List describes himself on social media as a public integrity and election transparency advocate, and he’s shown support on his page for both Curtis and Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco.
The temporary restraining order was denied during a last-minute court hearing this morning, Larmour said, meaning the ballots need to be destroyed as soon as possible.
“Every day past the 22 months that those documents exist is a violation of law,” he said.
Larmour said the state is aware that Curtis has not destroyed the ballots and that state officials are “heavily involved in what’s going on,” adding that officials with the Secretary of State’s Office are currently in Shasta. He said federal officials are present in the county today, as well, though he did not elaborate further.
Curtis has not responded to a request for comment today about whether he’s moved forward on the destruction of the November 2024 ballots. A representative with the Secretary of State’s Office declined to comment on the matter, and the California Department of Justice has not yet responded to a request for comment.
Curtis has claimed that there were irregularities with both the November 2024 election — which was administered by his predecessor — and the June election he ran this year.
Last week, Curtis received a subpoena to testify before a federal grand jury and bring with him tens of thousands of voted ballots from the June 2026 election. He told Shasta Scout at the time that he hoped the November 2024 ballots would also be investigated by the federal government, saying he was storing them in the same locked room in the Market Street elections office as the June ballots.
“If the 2026 [ballots] show up to be bad,” Curtis said, “then they might have a nexus to look at the 2024 [ballots].”
Supervisors were originally slated to discuss the litigation attempting to delay ballot destruction in closed session today, but it was discussed publicly instead after a majority of the board voted to do so.
Larmour said he had learned only yesterday that there would be a hearing on the temporary restraining order this morning, which he said was too late to seek the board’s vote on how he should represent the county in court. In the absence of that direction, he said he followed county policy that allows him to act unilaterally when needed and opposed the temporary restraining order.
Supervisors appeared to approve of that action and voted for Larmour to continue to represent the county in the same way during the next hearing on the litigation, which is scheduled for Sept. 17. Larmour indicated that the hearing is likely to be little more than a formality since the restraining order has already been ruled against.
He told supervisors that when Curtis asked him whether he should destroy the ballots, he explained to him that a legal filing by a private individual is not among the allowed reasons to retain documents under state rules.
During ongoing board discussion, Supervisors Matt Plummer and Allen Long expressed concern that any ongoing failure by Curtis to destroy ballots might put the county at legal risk. Larmour said that was a possibility, explaining that while an elected official such as Curtis can face his own criminal and civil legal issues related to a failure to perform his constitutional duties, that reality doesn’t prevent the board from being named in a lawsuit to demand that the ballots be destroyed.
Given that reality, Long and Plummer both supported the idea of placing on the board’s next agenda the possibility of taking legal action against Curtis in the coming weeks in an attempt to force him to comply with the law and destroy the ballots. Doing so, Plummer said, would communicate to the state that “as representatives of the county overall, we’re doing what we can to not be at fault for violating state law.”
But all three other supervisors opposed that vote, opting to take a wait-and-see approach to find out if Curtis will voluntarily comply with the law before considering any legal action.
“This is between our registrar of voters and the secretary of state and the courts right now,” Board Chair Chris Kelstrom said, “and I don’t think we need to stick our nose in the middle of it.”
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So all of these MAGA people saying that it’s ok for Clint Curtis to willingly break California Election LAW. What happened to your motto the law and order party! Oh I get it it only applies when you want it to. No idiots the law applies to everyone even appointed ROV who has already been censured! You people are such hypocrites it is repulsive!
Does the California state law which requires destruction of ballots by a certain date also a criminal offense if a ROV knowingly fails to comply? If so, our district attorney can and should take immediate action pursue prosecution of Clint Curtis, including issuing an arrest warrant.
Also, if it is a criminal offense, a situation could develop where a County ROV staff member or member of the public is in a position to make a private person’s arrest of Curtis.
Penal Code 837 – A private person may arrest another:
1. For a public offense committed or attempted in his presence.
2. When the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in his presence.
3. When a felony has been in fact committed, and he has reasonable cause for believing the person arrested to have committed it.
Yes, it’s a criminal offense that can be charged as a felony, which triggers immediate removal from office when convicted. If convicted of a felony, sentencing can be 2-3 years in state prison.
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It’s far too late for the DA to go to court before the November election, and probably too late for a trial before January when Curtis gets thrown out on his ass at the end of his term. Post-January is not too late to hold him accountable for past crimes, though.
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Unfortunately, our DA has a reputation of being loathe to charge criminals who have a fair chance of getting off—she protects her conviction rate like a shell protects a tortoise, and a hung jury here in Shastanistan is a fairly likely outcome.
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The Clint Curtis saga is making Shasta County into the laughing stock of the nation.
Reply
Mike Michalak
● September 16, 2026 at 7:41 am
If, in the opinion of County Counsel, Curtis is violating the law, our BoS should remove him from office immediately.
At the same time, Kevin Crye, Corkey Harmon, and Chris Kelstrom (who is running for re-election in November) should apologize to the citizens of Shasta County for selecting and installing Curtis as ROV.”
Neither of you know what you’re talking about. Clint ran a clean, honest, transparent election. What’s the problem?
Who you trying to convince? Everyone else, or yourself?
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A lot of the people that got conned are going to have a hard time accepting that they were grifted.
The problem is Clint claims the election he oversaw and certified is rife with fraud.
Nick. In fact, Shasta Scout has been a major news source covering the actions of Clint, Crye, Jones, Hobbs, etc., regarding Shasta County elections, and Scout, along with other local media, has been referenced in National and international articles.
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Personally, I call Clint, Crye, Jones, Hobbs, etc., extreme far-right actors, well associated with pathetic laughingstocks like Mr. Pillow, Cozey Baer, Tina Peters, etc. A quick AI sampling shows hundreds of stories and broadcasts, local/regional reports, and hundreds of stories and broadcasts in California statewide reports, and well over 100 national reports, and dozens of substantial international stories about Shasta County elections/election controversies. And guess what, Nick, the vast majority of the articles are not positive.
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Laughingstock, yes, in some way, as in Trump is a laughingstock. But more importantly, this is not a joke; it’s a dangerous assault on the continued existence of American Representative Democracy, locally, nationally, and internationally.
For the TDS folks that routinely post Trump all bad… this has nothing to do with Trump
This is Curtis creating chaos going out the door in concert with Crye
One problem.. if the county sues Chaos Curtis he, in all certainty, will ask for indemnification, which we are obligated to supply unless he’s charged with a crime…. and maybe even then as well.
I am concerned at the temporary employees going in the office after hours and on weekends with no supervision. Highly partisan conspiracy folks are the LAST people I want anywhere near our votes…I trust leadership will get rid of all of them.
When will this dirty fiasco be over…. those of us who care deeply about our county for ALL people … from ALL sides… know Curtis was bad from the start. Every supv. that voted for him should have a lead albatross around their neck because of it…
Give us Facts. What chaos? Every move in the office is video taped and no one can get away with anything. I’m more concerned with Joanna’s supporters and her supporters in the office as they have proven to be dishonest.
Other than your feelings, how have Joanna’s supporters been dishonest?
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Give us facts, Nick.
To suggest every move was videotaped is false. It is illegal to record the processing of ballots until polls close. Mailed ballots were being processed for weeks prior to Election Day so what was videotaped represented only a small percentage of total ballots.
Nick , nick, nick. Spreading rumors again. Does that make you feel better?
How about verifiable proof?
Joe. While I generally agree with your assessment of Curtis, your TYD comment is off base. Trump is the guiding hope of MAGA and has driven Shasta County electoral politics for years.
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The main MAGA cast that put Curtis in power as ROV, including Patrick Jones, Kevin Crye, Chris Kelstrom, Clint Curtis, and Corkey Harmon, have praised the court- adjudicated rapist – 34-count convicted felon – numerous times in Shasta County supervisor meetings, campaign events, materials, and media events.
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In fact, during the April 2025 Shasta County Board of Supervisors interviews for County Registrar of Voters, all candidates were asked about their fidelity to Trump. Both Crye and Curtis have written to Trump about election issues. As noted in Shasta Scout, Curtis appears to have asked for a meeting with the court-justified rapist – a 34-count convicted felon – and has often said he believes Trump’s legislation will justify his actions, such as Measure B.
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I think it’s fair to say that all the people above, and most of their supporters, like L. Hobbs, the Shasta Five, etc., have made it very clear that they believe Trump has given the green light for Shasta County to be the tip of the spear of electoral chaos
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And like all the above, like you, apparently, I’ll bet $5 bucks they believe people fighting against the want-to-be dictator have TDS. No, we’re just fighting the resurgence of the American neo-fascist movement, but I would agree that the cult leader who has attacked and tried to take over the electoral process of our vote is indeed a very, very, very deranged individual.
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BTY, the court-adjudicated rapist who persistently says, “Vote like I’m on the ballot,” is losing BIGLY in the polls; the November elections are 47 days away.
Hey Joe,
Trump is all bad. Bought any gas or diesel lately?
Do you like masked thugs kidnapping people on the street?
Bought any groceries or bought anything in the last 2 years?
Any idea where the national debt has
Gone since January 20, 2025?
I could go on…
PSA for the “all sides” folks who felt it necessary to include a dig at “TDS” folks before going on to make some valid points – Trump IS all bad; nothing deranged going on here other than in his own mind.
What’s with the rush to destroy the ballots? Let the courts decide if the evidence of fraud is present…. I, for one, am very interested in seeing the allegations supported or debunked in full view of the publics eye.
RS, so you’re ok with a public official breaking the law? Also, who gets to decide which state laws are considered “no big deal” to break? Curtis? You? Me? I guess any one of us has a choice whether or not to break a law but, call me crazy, I’d rather it not be a public official who’s entrusted with our local elections. Also, this fabulist voter conspiracy crap has been legally debunked and disproven in our courts over and over and over again, ad nauseam.
Election deniers have had plenty of time to file lawsuits or pay for a full manual recount if they believe any fraud existed in the 2024 election Tom Toller oversaw. The reason they won’t do that is they know the Big Lie is, well, a big lie. Plus a full hand count of any or all contests in that election would put the matter to rest which would mean they could no longer whine endlessly about election integrity like stuck pigs.
Here’s what I read: “the state is aware that Curtis has not destroyed the ballots and that state officials are “heavily involved in what’s going on,” adding that officials with the Secretary of State’s Office are currently in Shasta. He said federal officials are present in the county today, as well, though he did not elaborate further”. IF true AND Curtis is out of line, don’t you think the state and fed folk would throw the book at him? Again, what’s the rush? Why not investigate fully, let the state and feds review, let the legal challenges take their course. In the end Curtis will either be right or will have egg on his face.
Who says that they aren’t investigating fully, Bruce? You have no idea how long they may have been investigating before sending anyone to the office.
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To you, it may seem like a “rush”, but they may have been investigating him for quite a while now.
We are talking about two different elections. He is being investigated for the June 2026 election. The ballots he has refused to destroy were from November 2024. I hope this clarifies your thinking on this.
Brad, yes, I believe RS and a few others are conflating these two separate matters. Your clarification for all to read is appreciated.
Skeptic. You’re missing the point. The DOj and the FBI we’re called into this mess by Curtis himself. The DOJ and the FBI are both political arms of trump trying to influence, discredit and spread lies about our elections our elections for their criminal master. California is having nothing to do with that crap.
The feds will do nothing in regards to Curtis, he is actually on their side. The whole thing is just a stunt by Clint and the extremist far-right loyalists of the adjudicated rapist’s administration, trying to propagate conspiracy-based election lies and mistrust in our election system.
Curtis will most likely comply with the law very soon, if he hasn’t already. But like his avatar, the adjudicated rapist, the danger presented in Curtis’s refusal to follow law is because he thinks he can flaunt the law and that the FBI, the he DOJ and Trump have his back. That’s where representative democracy as we know it starts to fail and authoritarianism if not, neo fascism starts to succeed.
This is the challenge: a plaintiff must show proof of fraud to the court. No one, in 22 months’ time has come up with proof of such fraud. Not Hoobs, nor Curtis, nor Patrick, Patty or Rich.
And I’m right there with you on the access some of these folks have to that building.
So you don’t think Curtis went in on a Saturday and tampered with the ballots?
Skep, or Bruce or whoever you are,
The big deal is that it’s what the law says. Or do you think the law only applies if maga wants it to?
The Clint Curtis saga is making Shasta County into the laughing stock of the nation.
If, in the opinion of County Counsel, Curtis is violating the law, our BoS should remove him from office immediately.
At the same time, Kevin Crye, Corkey Harmon, and Chris Kelstrom (who is running for re-election in November) should apologize to the citizens of Shasta County for selecting and installing Curtis as ROV.
Agree 100%, fellow former election commissioner!
How many times must it be stated that the BOS has no legal authority to remove the grinning idiot Curtis from office? He was appointed, but it’s still an elected office.
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There are three ways to remove him: (1) losing an election for the office (done, but he gets to ride out his term), (2) vote to recall (too late to get on the ballot for the November election, and he’d still get to run that as his final election), or (3) being tried and convicted of a felony (automatic removal from office, but also too late for November).
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None of those can happen fast enough to get our ass-clown ROV shit-canned fast enough to make a difference. The best hope is that he’ll be charged with state crimes down the line, convicted, and get to spend time in the Graybar Motel.
Is Kelstrom common-stupid or willfully stupid? He’d just heard the county’s lawyer (which Kelstrom is not) explain how legal liability could flow beyond one rogue department head and accrue to the County itself. When you’re told you (or the entity of which you serve in an executive capacity) may have legal exposure by someone you hired to provide legal advice and representation, it’s not “sticking your nose in” to take measures to limit that legal exposure. Kelstrom is sponsoring negligence in the face of the law.
Rob B – I’d simply ask each supervisor if they represented a portion of Shasta County. Presumably they’d all answer in the affirmative. It’s literally Kelstrom’s (and Crye’s and Harmon’s) job to “stick his nose” in to help avoid anything threatening to harm Shasta County with possible litigation. These guys aren’t stupid (well, maybe one), they’re conniving.
I’ll gladly trade you stupid on Tuesday for a hamburger today
lol
I agree! This was an unwise vote by Kelstrom. It’s very bad for the public and it will hurt him in his re-election bid. He voted to censure Curtis and now pretends like everything is okay. Time for a replacement.
Incompetence, we know that already. How about criminal negligence?
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“This is between our registrar of voters, the secretary of state, and the courts right now…” No, Mr. Kelstrom, out of allegiance to MAGA Trumpism, you won’t do your job. Knowingly helping Curtis violate, conceal, or evade prosecution for a mandatory provision might be a potential California Penal Code §31 or §32 issue.
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Pitiable Kelstrom was stunned when Circumcised Philistine Crusader P. Plumb publicly said he “has been in bed with these whores at the state” because Kelstrom had slapped Clint’s hand with a toothless reprimand back in August. So now Kelstrom wants to make sure Patty, Curtis, and their Klan know he’s on their side: the side of far-right, militia-connected, and Trump conspiracy extremists who have defecated all over Shasta County, resulting in millions of taxpayer dollars and other resources spent to spread socially divisive lies about our elections, slander, and numerous failed, costly court actions. And now the side of open MAGA election-corruption lawlessness.
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As Scout and other media outlets have reported, County Counsel Larmour specifically and publicly told the Board that Curtis’s continued retention of the November 2024 election materials could expose the county to legal risk. Moreover, the records subpoenaed by the Eastern District of Ca. concern election materials from the June 2, 2026, primary election—not the November 2024 election. And the CKCC contingent says, “Oh well, he’s got em all mixed up. That’s just silly Clint for ya.”
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California Penal Code §32 makes a person an accessory when, after a felony has been committed, a person or persons aid the principal with the intent of knowingly helping the principal avoid arrest, trial, conviction, or punishment. California Government Code §25303 states, “The board of supervisors shall supervise the official conduct of all county officers” and shall ensure that county officers “faithfully perform their duties.” The CKCC contingent’s continued defense of Clint Curtis is beginning to smell like a failure to fulfill their legal duty, if not criminal negligence.
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Hopefully, by the next supervisors’ meeting, Curtis will have complied with the law. If not, Administrative Policy 1-101 provides that when discussion appears necessary on a topic (like a possible lawsuit by citizens or the state) that is raised during supervisors’ reports, the Chair or a simple majority vote of the Board may place the matter on a future agenda; hopefully Supervisor Allen Long or Matt Plummber will do so.
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FYI. Shasha County has a very competent, voter-endorsed ROV waiting in the wings who could take over today.
The ballots should be destroyed immediately. Otherwise, Curtis is in violation of election law IMHO.
“This is between our registrar of voters and the secretary of state and the courts right now,” Board Chair Chris Kelstrom said, “and I don’t think we need to stick our nose in the middle of it.”
That’s funny, typically Supes Kelstrom, Crye and Harmon have no qualms at all about sticking their noses into “all things Sacramento”. Gee, I wonder what’s different this time around? Could it be that they, themselves, appointed Curtis when he was obviously not qualified for the job? Ya, I wouldn’t want my name to come up either.
A slow motion trainwreck doesn’t quite cut it anymore, now it’s become a clown car towing a burning dumpster high-centered on a railway crossing…
Toot toot is ringing in the ears of Corkey, Crye and and the giant Hamburger.
*HamburgLer!
Blasted, guldarn spellcheck again…
The refusal on the part of the Board to acknowledge or take responsibility for all of the consequences of their selection of Clint Curtis as ROV is disappointing. It’s frustrating. It’s bad governance.
OK, the law says what it says.
But beyond some trivial storage cost for the old boxes of ballots, what exactly is the harm of a delay in shredding them?
I don’t buy the nonsense that has driven these demands, but … they’re just old papers.
DG, because as a supposedly law-abiding ROV, you don’t get to pick and choose what laws you follow (unless you’re Trump) without impunity (again, unless you’re Trump). If anything, it sets a bad precedent and public trust is (even more) broken.
*with (impunity)
The harm is that it reinforces the idiotic legal theory that the Shasta County ROV’s whims have primacy over State law. That’s entirely divorced from reality and begets reckless legal exposure.
Curtis didn’t attend the Board meeting this morning, and his supporters were quiet, lacking their usual show of conviction. Maybe they’re considering the other definition of “conviction”. Curtis is being watched by state and federal officers, and his days are numbered.
When compliance with the law finally happens, it will be interesting to see if they stay subdued or there is another conspiracy freakout. My bet is circus clowns gonna circus.
Selah
Throw his Floridian butt in jail..He has zero knowledge to be in this position! ZERO!