Shasta County Residents Rally at Courthouse to Defend Measure B Against Anonymous Lawsuit

REDDING, Calif. — February 23, 2026 — Shasta County residents gathered in front of the Shasta County Courthouse on Court Street at 11 a.m. today to protest an anonymous lawsuit seeking to remove Measure B—the Voter ID, Hand-Counted Ballots, and Absentee Voting Limits Initiative—from the June 2, 2026 primary ballot.

Waving American flags and holding handmade signs, protesters voiced strong support for the citizen-led charter amendment, which garnered over 10,000 signatures last year.

Common messages on display included:

• "Voter ID Attacked in Lawsuit"

• "10,000+ Signatures – Don't Silence Shasta!"

• "Voter ID, Yes on B"

The demonstration highlighted frustration with the lawsuit filed February 17, 2026, by plaintiff "Jane Doe" (Case No. 26CV-209919 in Shasta County Superior Court). The suit names the County of Shasta, the Board of Supervisors, and Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis as defendants, arguing that Measure B's provisions—such as mandatory photo ID for in-person voting, precinct-level hand-counting of ballots, one-day in-person elections, and locally maintained voter rolls—violate state law, including the recent state law AB 969 (which bans hand-counting in most counties).

The protest comes days after the Board of Supervisors' February 20 special meeting, where they voted 4-1 in closed session to take no position on the lawsuit—allowing the court to decide without county defense or opposition. Supporters view this neutrality as a betrayal of the 10,000+ signers, while critics argue it avoids unnecessary legal risk given state preemption concerns.

Protesters emphasized the grassroots nature of the effort: In April 2025, volunteers collected signatures door-to-door and at stores, exceeding the required threshold by thousands.

Veterans were prominently among the crowd, standing with flags and signs to underscore themes of constitutional rights, election integrity, and citizen participation. Participants framed the rally as a defense of "We the People" against what they called an attempt to suppress voter choice through anonymous legal action.

A predisposition hearing was set very quickly for Thursday, February 26, before Judge Benjamin Hanna, giving proponents only a few days to secure an attorney, develop a defense strategy, and potentially intervene in the case. Many at today's rally called the rapid scheduling highly unusual and concerning, as it limits the ability of Measure B supporters to mount an effective response and protect the initiative from being removed before voters can weigh in.

Another protest is planned for tomorrow (Tuesday, February 24) following the Board's regular R4 meeting, likely around noon, to continue pressing for transparency and defense of the measure.

The event remained peaceful, with participants calling for transparency, voter sovereignty, and the chance for Shasta County residents to decide at the polls in June.