Tuesday’s special election was a mostly peaceful one at the Elections Office in Downtown Redding. Nobody forced their way into the employee-only area, partly due to the installation of a metal fence to keep out unauthorized personnel. Observers were present from a number of organizations, including the California Secretary of State’s Office and voting machine company Hart InterCivic.
The voter turnout was lower than expected, despite a showdown in the fight for a majority on the Gateway School District Board. The board has struggled to make decisions in a 2 to 2 matchup between a very conservative husband-and-wife team on one side and 2 moderates on the other. The apparent winner Tuesday, Casey Bowden, has cast his lot with the moderate side, and some hope that his presence will bring stability to the district. His opponent, Camille King, has children who attend a private school, saying she was not “comfortable” with the state of the Gateway School District. She apparently had sided with the Brian Caples faction who was in favor of controversial policies concerning book banning, gender identity and other issues.
The other set of voters on Tuesday were residents of the Old Shasta area, who overwhelmingly approved the formation of their own fire protection district and the tax structure to fund it.