Supervisor Chris Kelstrom’s statement was not just misleading — it was a deliberate and cynical attempt to shift blame onto the very citizens and voters he is supposed to represent. Kelstrom whined that this is the “fifth lawsuit” and that proponents keep wanting taxpayers to fund their defense. What he deliberately omitted is that the Board and County Counsel Joseph Larmour started this legal war — and their original justification has now been completely exposed as false.

The panel stated that during the March 2024 election, Shasta County experienced over 20 different time changes many of which occurred in 60-second increments and many occurred in the middle of the night (which indicates possible remote access.) In this same election, a thumb drive containing 100 votes disappeared and did not make it into the Cast Vote Record data, in a race that was decided by just 14 votes

Hurdle for Election Reform: Save Shasta Elections Hit with Steep Signature Verification Fees