A Shasta County courtroom was packed to capacity Tuesday for a hearing concerning a lawsuit filed against the county by failed District 2 Supervisor Candidate Laura Hobbs, who alleges that her loss was as a result of misdeeds by the Elections Department. Judge Stephen Baker made a tentative ruling for dismissal a couple of weeks ago, saying the allegations are vague and unsubstantiated. Allen Long won 50.13% of the vote, meaning he avoided a runoff by getting more than half the ballots cast. Hobbs came in second in the four-way race with just over 19%. Hobbs initially called for a recount and the process was about to begin when she called it off, apparently because of the substantial cost. Tuesday’s hearing focused on an apparent error in not using the Secretary of State’s randomized alphabet, which placed Long’s name above Hobbs name on the ballot. Assistant Registrar Joanna Francescut took the stand and acknowledged that error may have occurred. The question remains about whether that made a difference in the outcome. The hearing will continue Wednesday.
-Steve Gibson