Shasta County Measure B: Voter ID Promise Masks Controversial Provisions

A campaign sign in Shasta County promises voter ID, but Measure B goes far beyond that. The ballot measure would eliminate most early voting, restrict absentee ballots to the infirm, military, and overseas residents, require hand-counting of all ballots at the precinct level, and separate local voter rolls from state systems—provisions that appear illegal under current state and federal laws.

Supervisor Chris Kelstrom opposes Measure B for legal reasons, despite supporting voter ID laws. He argues that election laws set at the state level should be changed by state-level votes.

A statewide voter ID measure is expected on California ballots this fall.

The regional ACLU and League of Women Voters have also opposed Measure B, with the ACLU stating it violates state law and exposes county taxpayers to significant litigation costs "all in pursuit of a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist."

If passed, Measure B would require a manual tally of all votes using a format by Linda Rantz, an election activist and supporter of 2020 election skeptic Mike Lindell. In Missouri’s Osage County, a 2023 experiment found hand-counting was more expensive, took longer, and was slightly less accurate than machines.

The clerk who facilitated the experiment resigned months later, citing threats and harassment.

California banned hand-counting in jurisdictions the size of Shasta in 2023, in response to earlier efforts by Kelstrom and others. In 2024, Huntington Beach attempted a similar but less sweeping measure requiring voter ID, dropbox monitoring, and more polling locations.

It was struck down by the Attorney General, who stated that no city or county charter is above the law. The California Supreme Court declined to hear Huntington Beach’s appeal.

In the 2024 presidential election, about 76,400 Shasta County residents voted by mail—86% of all voters in that race. Measure B would eliminate early voting and greatly restrict mail-in ballots, potentially disenfranchising the majority of local voters.