A few election related matters will be discussed during Tuesday’s Shasta County Board of Supervisors meeting. In one item, Patrick Jones wants to pick through the agreement signed with Hart InterCivic Inc. in hopes of finding a way to declare it illegitimate. The agreement to acquire the machines was done to satisfy a state requirement that each polling place must have at least one machine to allow equal voting rights to disabled voters. There are apparently plenty of machines for next week’s special election, but problems may arise in the Spring because only the board may enter into a contract for more machines.
The California Secretary of State has told the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in writing that AB969, which bans most hand tallying, will apply to every election and there is no “grandfather clause”, as claimed by some members of the board. The letter says the state will take “any action necessary” to ensure Shasta County follows the law.