{"id":511,"date":"2026-06-05T23:33:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T23:33:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=511"},"modified":"2026-06-05T23:33:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T23:33:01","slug":"california-county-on-verge-of-requiring-in-person-same-day-voting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=511","title":{"rendered":"California county on verge of requiring in-person, same-day voting"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A controversial Northern California election chief who has been accused of\u00a0promoting election conspiracy theories and of staff mistreatment could be out of a job following Tuesday\u2019s vote. Clint Curtis, an elections chief in Shasta County, might be voted out of office,\u00a0preliminary results show.\u00a0<\/p>

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Curtis, the Shasta County registrar of voters, has only 43.59% of the vote, while his opponent, Joanna Francescut, has 56.41% as of the vote as of Thursday afternoon. Francescut perviously worked in the county\u2019s election department for 17 years before Curtis fired her.<\/p><\/div>

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While Curtis faces tough votes on his job, voters are set to approve a voter ID law he pushed for. Measure B, an initiative that would require all voting to be held in person (with absentee ballots by request) on a single day and all voters to present a photo identification, is likely to pass with a 55.63% vote as of Thursday afternoon.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Curtis did not return SFGATE\u2019s request for comment and has not publicly conceded his election.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

Curtis\u2019 office was further embroiled in controversy this week after CalMatters reported that a temporary election staffer allegedly activated a stun gun while waiting to collect ballots Tuesday. The outlet reported that a journalist with the Shasta Scout witnessed one of his staff members set off what appeared to be a stun gun, though the incident has not been confirmed by officials. The Shasta Scout editor, Annelise Pierce, said she saw a worker pull out the device, which made a \u201cloud zapping sound,\u201d while she waited outside the elections office, CalMatters reported, before Curtis came out and took the device from the worker.<\/p><\/div>

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The news outlet added that Curtis\u2019 spokesperson said it was \u201cnot a\u00a0Taser\u201d but \u201ca flashlight that made a buzzing noise.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

Curtis, a former attorney in Florida, was appointed by the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in\u00a0May 2025. The appointment sparked outrage from some county residents over his lack of prior experience in elections offices and his promoting of election conspiracy theories. He has also questioned the reliability of voting machines.\u00a0<\/p>

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