The California County at the Center of the Election Integrity Fight

Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America. Shasta County has been ground zero in California’s fight over election security. Election officials took control of the deep red county’s Board of Supervisors and elections office. Although some of those officials lost reelection bids in June, voters also passed a ballot measure to overhaul how the county runs elections, including eliminating mail-in voting and requiring voter ID and hand-counting ballots. That measure is now tied up in court after the Secretary of State and Attorney General sued, arguing it it violates a number of state laws. Marisa discusses it all with Jefferson Public Radio reporter Roman Battaglia.  Later, Marisa is joined by Joanna Francescut, the county’s newly elected Registrar of Voters, about what it’s like to be an election official in Shasta. Francescut hs worked in the elections office since 2008 and takes over in January 2027 just after the consequential midterm elections.  If you missed it, you can listen to the first and second episodes of our election integrity series. Check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠, delivered straight to your inbox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices