Documentary Premiere Exposes Shasta County’s Destruction of 2024 Election Records Amid Preservation Disputes
Saturday night in Redding, California, the free public premiere of THE SHRED: RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES drew residents to 1440 Placer Street for a screening of footage documenting the October 3, 2026, on-site shredding of Shasta County’s November 2024 election materials. Produced in collaboration with True the Vote and featuring eyewitness documentation by Arne List, the film includes Q&A with List and Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis. It centers on the destruction of thousands of ballots and mixed records despite an open public records request and questions over legal retention periods.
Days earlier, on September 30, sealed boxes were opened and revealed election log sheets, voter-related documents, and other non-ballot materials mixed with ballots—records that observers and the documentary argue should not have been destroyed. California Elections Code § 17300 requires elections officials to preserve rosters or combined rosters and voter lists for five years after an election (after which they “may” be destroyed). By contrast, voted ballots and certain related items from federal elections are subject to a 22-month retention under § 17301, after which destruction is required if no contest or qualifying criminal prosecution has begun. County officials and the Secretary of State’s office maintained that the statutory deadline for applicable 2024 materials had passed in early September and directed the shredding to proceed in accordance with state and federal law. Curtis had delayed earlier attempts after discovering the mixed contents and citing a pending Public Records Act (PRA) request.
After that September 30 pause, county counsel reacted sharply. In emails that day, County Counsel Joseph Larmour directed Curtis to continue the destruction, stating there was no court order permitting retention and warning that continued noncompliance with the 22-month rule under 52 U.S.C. § 20701 “carries criminal sanctions of not more than $1,000 fine and not more than one year of imprisonment,” adding that Curtis was “out on your own” and that neither counsel nor the Board would be liable. Curtis replied that the email was a “complete lie,” that the shred had been stopped because of the PRA materials, and that “Threats are useful for my whistleblower complaint.”
Although the next available shredding date was reportedly weeks away, the county contacted the shredding company and arranged for it to work on its day off. The public was notified the evening of Thursday, October 1, that the destruction had been moved up to the morning of Saturday, October 3. That same day, September 30, the county issued a press release stating that Curtis was “currently in violation” of state and federal statutes requiring destruction after 22 months, that no court order existed to permit continued retention, and that his refusal was “solely his decision and is not supported or condoned by the County of Shasta.” The process then moved forward on October 3 with the private shredding company.
The footage captures observers confronting county staff as boxes were wheeled out and fed into the shredder. Speakers in the documentary describe finding materials they contend fall outside mandatory immediate destruction and should have been segregated and preserved. County representatives largely declined to answer questions about ultimate responsibility or how non-ballot records were handled, saying they were there to observe. Critics called the destruction a willful elimination of potential evidence and a paper trail, especially amid heavy criticism of the county's 2024 election process, which included reports that roughly half the ballots had to be duplicated and dozens of observer sworn declarations citing issues with transparency and security, alleged misconduct and irregularities. Supporters of the action pointed to the absence of a court order blocking it and the need to comply with the 22-month rule.
The documentary frames the events as a direct assault on transparency and election integrity: materials that by law need not have been destroyed were shredded anyway, limiting the public’s ability to inspect records or support investigations. Two lawsuits related to the materials remain pending, including one filed by a 2024 election observer whose September 3 Public Records Act request for election logs and related records has not been fulfilled. County officials have said they located the requested records and gave them to the requester; the requester disputes that, calling it an absolute lie. Mr. List has continued legal efforts related to the materials, with a support campaign linked in the film’s promotional materials.
For many who attended or watched the footage, the scene of mixed election records disappearing into the shredder represents a fundamental failure of accountability—repulsive not because every item was forever forbidden from destruction, but because the county proceeded in a manner that erased the very documents citizens had sought to preserve and review.
To watch the documentary click above or go to: https://rumble.com/v7grw74-the-shred.html
To learn more about Arne List's case and watch more of his Shasta County election videos: https://www.instagram.com/arnelist/
