Registrar of Voters Candidates Trade Sharp Accusations During Packed Forum
- Elisa Ballard
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
April 22, 2026
REDDING — In a standing-room-only crowd at the Redding Library community room, the two candidates for Shasta County Registrar of Voters/County Clerk (ROV) traded pointed criticisms of each other’s records Tuesday evening during a one-hour candidate forum.
Incumbent Clint Curtis, the current ROV who was appointed by the Board of Supervisors in 2025 following the retirement of Thomas Toller, faced off against Joanna Francescut, who served for many years as Assistant ROV under former ROV Cathy Darling Allen (who retired in 2024).
The forum was hosted by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters, with Susan Wilson serving as moderator. Audience members submitted questions on 3x5 cards beforehand, which a review team selected for their general interest. The event was livestreamed by Channel 7 News and the League of Women Voters.
Opening Statements
Francescut spoke first, reading from notes and appearing somewhat uncomfortable. She emphasized her hands-on experience learning every aspect of election operations, strict adherence to the law, and commitment to transparency, checks and balances, and excellent customer service. “Integrity starts with competent leaders who understand the law,” she said, adding that “experience matters.”
Curtis, a former computer programmer and attorney, highlighted his background programming electronic voting machines in 1999. He attended Barry University, Cambridge University, and Georgetown University, and has testified before Congress as a whistleblower on election issues. He has traveled the country advising on election integrity and became an attorney specifically to combat election fraud. Curtis said he was drawn to Shasta County because the Board of Supervisors and residents cared about fixing what he described as serious election integrity problems. Since taking office, he said he has completely overhauled the system so that “you can now see every ballot before it gets put through the tabulation machine.”
Key Exchanges
On whether the ROV must remain nonpartisan and apolitical while upholding state laws, Curtis argued that claiming to be completely nonpartisan is unrealistic. He stressed the importance of strictly following the law, including rules on the order of candidates’ names on the ballot, which was a problem under the prior Election Office administration. Curtis identified himself as a Republican (noting he switched from Democrat) and noted he has received endorsements from the Shasta County Republican Central Committee, the Shasta County Republican Assembly, and American Independents.
Francescut countered that the Registrar must remain nonpartisan in all actions and follow state law without attempting to create new ones. She said she has not sought formal endorsements, only community support.
When asked about evidence of election fraud in Shasta County, Francescut replied that studies show very little fraud occurs, but she stressed the importance of maintaining a strong chain of custody and checks and balances. She recounted stopping a voter who tried to vote twice.
Curtis responded that there is “a lot of evidence of election fraud.” He cited the recall election of Supervisor Kevin Crye, claiming there were 3,000 more votes than people who voted. He alleged early mailed-in ballots showed the recall leading by 20%, but later and Election Day votes favored Crye, resulting in a narrow victory instead of a larger margin he believed should have occurred. Normally, he stated election percentages should not change that much - they should be a "flat line".
On poll worker requirements, Curtis said the office should accept everyone who applies and accused the prior administration, during Francescut's tenure as Assistant ROV, of discriminating against Republicans, citing “nasty notes” found on applications. Francescut, who previously served as poll worker coordinator, said, “I used to joke that if they can bleed, they can be a poll worker,” unless the applicant or a family member is on the ballot. She added that poll workers must be able to listen and follow directions, but offered no explanation of the alleged partisan discrimination. She also highlighted her work creating a new training program in 2012 and implementing new voting systems, including a plan for hand counting.
Regarding department costs and efficiency, Francescut criticized Curtis for increasing costs by 35%, producing a video that accounted for less than 10% of Election Day votes, and causing longer processing times that left Shasta among the last counties to finish counting. Curtis replied that everything is videotaped but cannot be shown before 8 p.m. on Election Day for legal reasons, and that all processes are now on camera for public verification. He accused the previous administration of wasting money on trips to Runbeck and trips picking up ballots from the large number of drop boxes.
Other Topics
On voter education, Curtis advised voters to bring their ballot envelope to the precinct as proof they had not already voted, or request a provisional ballot if needed. Francescut said voters often wait until the last minute and pledged to provide information without overspending.
Both candidates addressed the importance of following state election laws. Curtis accused the prior office of violating a 1970s law on candidate order on ballots and said he had to clean up Francescut's failure to properly file the County Charter with the Secretary of State. Francescut admitted making one mistake on a local alpha draw, but accused Curtis of being late on a local draw because he was in Sacramento for the state draw.
On supporting candidates or measures, Francescut said the job requires strict neutrality. Curtis agreed that one should not endorse but said the Registrar should champion qualified measures getting on the ballot, citing his defense of Measure B against a legal challenge. He added that he takes a polygraph test at the end of every election to prove there was no “tinkering” and challenged Francescut to do the same.
On ballot drop boxes, Curtis called them the least secure method and said he reduced them to only four, requiring workers to go straight from pickup to the office without stops.
Francescut defended their original implementation under Cathy Darling Allen due to U.S. Postal Service routing changes that had added two days to mail delivery.
Curtis also claimed that when the board voted to switch to hand counting, Francescut advocated for a state law banning it. He said he has since arranged with the local post office to hold ballots for direct pickup, eliminating the two-day delay.
When asked how they would lower heated rhetoric, Curtis described removing a wall/gate in the office, serving pizza and cookies to bipartisan election observers, and making all processes visible so “there is nothing to fight over.” Francescut said the gate extension was only four feet for voter security and pledged to “bring calm” while protecting all voters.
Closing Statements
In his closing, Curtis pointed to visible improvements, including wall monitors showing every process, sealed chain-of-custody bags (ballots can travel no more than 3 feet without being sealed), and enhanced security. He contrasted this with the prior system, which he said had ballots in unsealed stacks and 500 unlogged entries into a locked room.
Francescut said she could speak at length about the demands of the job and pushed back against what she called “many half-truths” told about her. She noted California has some of the strictest election rules in the nation and said she never expected to become a politician when she started in the office in 2008, but she loves the work.
Upcoming Events
Clint Curtis is inviting the public to a town hall, Thursday, April 23rd, from 6 - 8 p.m. at the American Legion Post 369, 24843 State Hwy 299E., Fall River Mills, CA 96028, hosted by Intermountain Patriots.
Francescut is scheduled to be interviewed on Sunday, April 26th, on the radio show “Poke the Hornet’s Nest” at 9 a.m. on KQMS - 105.7 FM and 1670 AM.
The League of Women Voters is planning to hold two additional forums. A forum for California Assembly candidates will be held on Friday, May 1st at 5 p.m. at the Riverfront Playhouse, 1950 California St., Redding, CA 96001. Another on Measure B might be held on May 2nd at 3 p.m.; however, it has not been finalized.
The primary election for Shasta County Clerk/Registrar of Voters is June 2, 2026.
To view the ROV Candidate forum in its entirety, go to:
