Supervisor Kelstrom says records have been found - but so far they have not been provided to the requestor or the ROV
October 13, 2026 - SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. — Shasta County Board of Supervisors Chair Chris Kelstrom said in an October 6 report to Action News Now that election records sought under a Public Records Act request have been located inside the Elections Office, despite earlier concerns they may have been destroyed with November 2024 ballot packages. As of October 13, the records have not been provided to the requestor, Kari Chilson, nor shared with Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis.
Chilson filed PRA Request No. 26-1766 on September 4, 2026, seeking administrative records from the December 3, 2024 canvass, including observer logs, ballot and batch logs, tabulator reports, sign-in sheets, and related documentation. She said the materials the county previously produced did not match what she requested.
On October 3, sealed boxes described as containing only 2024 ballot packages were shredded. Accounts and video indicate that some non-ballot administrative records were present in boxes that went to the shredder.
Kelstrom told Action News Now that longtime Elections Office employees found the records, which he said had been misfiled. He described the located materials as those required to be retained for five years and distinguished them from certain voter-batch reconciliation documents subject to a 22-month retention period that were shredded. Curtis told the station he was unaware the records had been located and had not seen them.
At the Board of Supervisors meeting on October 13, Chilson spoke during public comment and again requested the records, stating that what had been provided was not responsive to her request.
Arne List, a Southern California social media influencer and election-integrity activist, also spoke. He said he would contact the Department of Justice and the FBI about the shredding of documents that should have been retained and indicated he has video of some of the contents of the boxes destroyed on October 3. He also stated that he believes Secretary of State Shirley Weber is ultimately responsible for the shredding and that a crime was committed.
List has posted an extensive series of videos on Instagram and Facebook under the title “Shasta County Shorts,” documenting operations and conditions at the Shasta County Elections Office. In August, he spent time in Redding, interviewed Curtis, and published walkthrough videos of the office. He previously filed a lawsuit to block the destruction of the November 2024 materials, but the court denied a temporary restraining order. He has said his father served as an FBI special agent for two decades and has framed his documentation around preserving materials for potential official review.
Outstanding questions include exactly where and by whom the records were found, why they weren't located earlier, and why Registrar Curtis wasn't notified at the time of discovery.
No inventory of the newly located records or timeline for production to Chilson has been released. The situation adds to ongoing questions about records retention and transparency at the Shasta County Elections Office.
