“To Prevent Civil Unrest”: Shasta County Elections Commission Chair Clarifies That She Has Not Heard Threats of Violence
Ronnean Lund, Chair of the Shasta County Elections Commission, told the public last month she’d heard that civil unrest will occur if supervisors don’t implement one-day voting. This week, she clarified for Shasta Scout that the concerns she’s heard have not included threats of violence.
A draft recommendation reviewed by the Shasta County Elections Commission on September 9 ended on an ominous note: a vague threat of civil unrest.
The document, which was brought forward by Commissioners Ronnean Lund and Patty Plumb, suggested that the Board should implement one-day voting, something that’s illegal under state law. The document also suggested that the Board should “move on these recommendations as quickly as possible, by whatever means are necessary, in order to prevent civil unrest.”
That phrase particularly concerned fellow Commissioner Brad Garbutt, who asked Lund and Plumb to define what they meant by the term “civil unrest”.
“Are we talking about violence?” Garbutt asked. “Are we talking about a peaceful protest?”
“To me this is a blackmail item. You’re trying to blackmail supervisors into doing something on this,” Garbutt continued, saying he felt publishing the phrase as part of the draft recommendation had likely already exposed the county to legal liability.
Lund defended the use of the term “civil unrest”, saying the phrase was included in the recommendation because “that’s what the committee has heard from the public.”
At the time, she did not elaborate further or confirm whether she’s reported such statements to law enforcement. But Lund responded to a request for comment from Shasta Scout yesterday, October 8, by saying she has not heard any threats of violence.
“It wasn’t like people taking up arms or anything,” Lund explained. “It’s more like . . . you’ve seen the people who come to the meetings and speak. They’re very passionate about these issues. The civilians just aren’t going to be at rest. They’re just going to be upset. They’re not going to be restful.”
Lund said she had not reported anything about the potential for civil unrest to law enforcement because no threat of violence was involved. Tim Mapes, a spokesperson with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed for Shasta Scout that the Sheriff’s Office is “unaware” of any report of a threat of civil unrest related to the Elections Office.
The Commission’s recommendation for one-day voting and limited absentee ballots was prepared without any public oversight by a two-person ad hoc committee including Lund and Plumb. That committee does not appear to meet Brown Act requirements because it was not formed with a definite end date, something the Brown Act requires for all ad hoc committees, because they meet out of the public’s view.
And Garbutt also had significant concerns with the recommendation itself.
“It is illegal, it’s unconstitutional, it’s unenforceable,” Garbutt continued, “as have been so many things this Commission has done.”
Somewhere in the chambers, a female member of the public responded with a sharp cry of “traitor!”
Lund responded by telling Garbutt that the recommendation is not illegal because it’s just theoretical, not an actual change in policy.
“Whether or not (it would) supersede state law,” Lund said, “that is not this Commission’s problem. We are just making a recommendation.”
County Counsel Joseph Larmour did not approve the recommendation, calling the document “internally inconsistent” and unable to stand up to legal scrutiny. But the recommendation passed anyway, after an update to omit the statement about civil unrest, a decision Lund agreed with.
“The connotation of it,” Lund confirmed for Shasta Scout later, “wasn’t good.”
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
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On January 1st, I recommend all rational law abiding citizens, whether Dems or Reps, to demand from our new board that they dissolve the phony elections commission. Further, I urge the new board to elect a focused, wise, prudent, approachable, stable, non narcissist with unifying leadership skills to be the Chair…
I do not believe there has been any violence associated with the citizens who have been speaking at the supervisor meetings in favor of one day voting and hand counting ballots. They are protesting against State overreach. What is the fuss all about? Going public with a statement of protest is a right of all citizens. I think the comments on here aimed at denigrating fellow citizens is sad. Labeling people, calling people rapists, insinuating they are law breakers is really pathetic in my opinion.
@Concerned: “…insinuating they are law breakers…”
They are openly advocating that the law be broken…
Hello Concerned, Are you talking about Donald Trump or Ms. Lund, because they’re both using the same fear tactics to stir up the local extremists. In DTs case the militia, Proud Boys, Oath keepers and other extremist groups…Trump’s call to protest and now Ms. Lund forecast’s violence at our poll sites. Ms. Lund is loosing it, she needs to remove herself from the commission. Once you say it, it’s out and you can’t put it back in the bottle.
Ms. Lund and her cohorts obviously have not had any conversations with Mr. Toller, ROV or Ms. Francescut, Asst. ROV; but gather up their own rules and go…’that’s it and we’re sticking to it’. Unless they’re disbanded in January 2025, they simply need to quit their foolishness. Ms. Lund’s words are akin to hollering fire in a theatre, she could be held libel if there’s any threats on Election Day, Nov 5.
911 CALL Shasta County FBI Informant Militia Illegal Explosives Weapons Police Sheriff Cover – Up
https://reddinghomeless.blogspot.com/2024/03/well-next-store-neighbor-shasta-county.html
The biggest concern for me about the Elections Commission (outside the illegal recommendations) is this attitude that all members appointed to the commission must think exactly the same. The cry of “traitor” from the audience directed towards Mr. Garbutt simply for expressing dissent is abhorrent. Anti-democratic, anti-First Amendment, anti-Constitutional.
One day voting is, of course, absurd. The logistics of single day voting, even in a county the size of Shasta with 114,759 registered voters, would be a nightmare. Think about it – if say 30% of voters applied for an absentee ballot that would leave 80,331 potential voters. (In the last general election 70.33% of eligible voters voted. If we assume that an equal number of voters will vote that would be 56,497 voters). Rather than the 55 or so polling places there are currently let’s say that 100 polling places are available. We know the urban areas will have more voters but it takes rural people longer to drive to the polls. Once at the polling place and after waiting in line, (for however long it takes) it takes an average of 10 minutes to get checked in, vote and return you ballot. A process taking about 564,970 minutes or 9,416 hours to complete.
Then would come the hand count. Depending on the number of people required to staff each polling place and the additional people needed to count the votes for each item voted on. Any question arising during the hand count would have to be checked, (questions regarding signatures are required to contact the signer for verification). The total count must be finalized within 30 days and report to the state. If a ballot takes an average say 7 minutes to count and record, (depending on the number of candidates, propositions, bond items), another 3 minutes to verify by the count observer and the voting rate was the same as the last general election – 80,710 ballots would have to be processed. 807,100 minutes or 13,452 hours or 1,682 eight hour days.
It is absurd to think that an accommodation for enough polling places to allow every voter time to vote in a single day, for voters to vote, for the votes to be gathered and counted, then verified without an army of counters and verifiers at a cost that would drain the county treasury could be planed for and carried out.
Those who put forward “one day voting” don’t appear to care about insuring a free and open election in which every person registered and wanting to vote is able to vote. And don’t seem to understand the burden and cost it would require.
Yet when the commission recommended to Supervisors in February to ignore AB 969 and just hand count anyway, they justified it stating hand counting is cheaper, more accurate and faster than machine tabulators.
One day voting a hundred years ago was fine, but in this day and age is not practical because of population growth. I feel most of the commission have and had an agenda since its formation and the majority fall in line with the majority on the board of supervisors. If this were to happen it would deny many legal voters the right to vote as many of us are old, unable to drive, care givers who would have to pay for someone to come in while we went to vote ($25.00 to $50.00 per hour) and some of us Republicans just like the convenience. I also feel as we are suppose to like less government, get rid of the commission.
The peasants are revolting!
Verb, or adjective?
Imagine how many people would not be able to vote if we had one day voting. With all the thousands or sometimes millions of people having to evacuate because of climate events, or illnesses, or other circumstances beyond their control, all of those eligible voters would be unable to have the opportunity to vote, denying them their voice. Is that fair?
Sam: To ensure fairness, I want to clarify that the recommendation was for both one-day voting and limited absentee balloting.
They wanted to roll back absentee voting to pre-1978 rules when only 6% of registered voters qualified to vote absentee. Primarily deployed military and those with certain medical conditions. The only option for the other 94% of us would be to vote in person on Election Day. 90% currently vote by mail or drop box in Shasta County and California. 100% of voters in three counties, Colusa, Sierra and Alpine, vote by mail only, no polling places. When County Council asked chair to table the recommendations I immediately made a motion to do just that. My motion failed and the three other commissioners then voted to pass the recommendations after amending it removing the sentence about possible civil unrest. In my opinion, these three violated their oath of office and commission bylaws by making recommendations that violate our existing election laws they agreed to defend and uphold.
Sam, cutting down the voting pool is the entire point of these games.
Poorly written response, as usual.
With a boilerplate reference to God, too.
See: Establishment clause…
Openly a law breaker?
Who cares about lawsuits anyway?… Hmmm. “Zogg Fire” ring a bell? Lol..
Hand count? You cannot even spell correctly, let alone count to ten…
And, governing yourself as intelligent human beings would require you to have the intelligence and compassion to do so…
Based on what has appeared here in this public theatre, you appear to lack those qualities…
Maybe we should just regress further into the abyss and vote by viva voce again?
Looking forward to the Election, so that these MAGA onamism sessions can be marginalized and put to perpetual sleep where they belong…
Happy Halloween! 🎃
I am relieved that I received my ballot in the mail today. I was concerned that some overzealous conservative fanatic would delete me from the voter rolls ( checked with the secretary of state’s registration portal).
I am a lame old man who would find it a hardship to have to stand in a long line on November 5th. I see no fraud having been committed with mailed ballots and drop boxes. I was anticipating seeing observers wearing tactical gear at the Redding City Hall drop box last year. Glad I did not.
I agree that mail in ballots are convenient for everyone. I just took advantage of the convenience myself, even thought I advocate for handcounting. I have always voted absentee. It is important to have absentee voting in place. The issue with the system we now have is the fact that ballots are mailed out to every household. In the past you requested and absentee ballot to be mailed to your home or you had to vote in person on election day. The system we now have leaves many doors open to fraud. Ballots going out to every household is concerning. What about if that person has moved, either from one neighborhood to another? Or even out of the state? Or what if they died? My mother continued to receive her absentee ballot even after she died. After the second year I notified the clerk of the problem. I have since moved myself, so does her ballot continue to be mailed? What about my ballot? We all know this happens. Then we have the new motor voter law that says you can register to vote or update your voting registration when you renew or apply for a California Drivers License. This new law, according to the league of women voters, also mitigates the consequences should a noncitizen “idadvertently” register to vote or “inadvertently” vote. Last November, when I renewed my drivers license at DMV I was asked if I was a citizen. In August, when my friend renewed his drivers license that question was not presented. As soon as he filled out his personal information the voter registration option was available. This tells me it is very easy to “inadvertently” register. I think it is sad when fellow citizens make personal attacks when someone questions this new system. It was put into place without our permission under the guise of the Covid Pandemic without our permission. It is a citizens right to question and challenge. It is also a citizens responsibility. After all, voting is a privilege in our country. It is also a right. I would like to see us return to the days of requesting and absentee ballot or choosing to vote on election day.
Thank God, we’re a charter county! And since you can’t beat them, you might as well join them. So we’re not gonna follow the laws of the state of California or their stupid mandates. We will govern ourselves as intelligent human beings. This will come to dismay to some, and I’m sure the lawsuits will fly. Who cares, one day voting was all we ever did. Hand counting was simple and over with at the end of the day. This voting charade that the Democrats have put forward since Covid is a joke. It’s over.
@Jon: If you’re not going to follow the laws of the state, then why are you going to follow the laws of the county?
I was at the meeting. I was a bit shocked that Lund tried to stand her ground and keep the threat of violence on the resolution, but not surprised. Even the Crye-Jones hand-picked County Counsel and R. O.V. gave declined to break the law for the Cartel and their election denier conspiracy based supporters.
Lund, supported by the local white nationalist militia that also threatens violence and the J.C.K. Cartel – Junta that has ties to the neo-confederate militia, has openly demanded that Shasta County break laws. This behavior and thinking based on lies and conspiracy theory happens because the Cartel and militia think they have permission to do so from their leader, a convicted felon, loser and adjudicated rapist, who also lies and propagates white nationalist “Proud Boy” conspiracy theories.
Shasta County is sick and tired of being healed hostage by the likes of the J.C.K. Cartel, liers Hobbs, Lund, Plum, Street, and the militia’s threats of violence. It’s time we all move on.
Shasta County is looking for RECOVERY with safe-sane conservative leadership and voters can do that by telling the Cartel no, we’re do, like we did with Jones, we aren’t going to vote for chaos and threatening nut-job Mr. Pillow extremism any more. We not going backwards with their hand-picked Corky. We choose to go forward with Safe and Sane Conservative Representation that is committed to ALL Shasta County citizens, not just the lie based conspiracy theory, threatening minority. Shasta County demands Recovery. It’s time to go forward and leave the chaos behind.
John,
You must be new to Shasta County, we have had machine voting well before Covid.
You’re absolutely correct on this. I’ve been mailing in my ballot for a very long time. We had machine voting and mail in ballots, and “election day” has, for a very long time, been the last day to vote, not the only day to vote. Statewide.
Democrats didn’t impose mail-in ballots in this County. I’ve been voting by mail at least since the 90s. There’s been nothing “Democrat” about it. Consider doing some research before tossing around political cant.
Mr. Stadille, Shasta Co. is not a Charter County until January 2025. Vote No on Measures P & Q, the attempt to amend the Charter before it’s a Charter County, sponsored by Kevin Crye.
There hasn’t been true hand counting of ballots in the last 30+ years (I can only cite that far since I’ve only been voting that long), so I ask again, why is it JUST NOW that you and others seem to be all hell-bent on having it again?
I also hope this “Committee” is paying close attention to what happened in Colorado when an Election Clerk there decided she was above the law.
Jon, could you give several years and which elections that the ballots were hand counted and the counting was finished by the end of the day? Was it ever on a general election like this November?