When former assistant registrar of voters Joanna Francescut got the notice this week that she was losing her job, she was already mentally prepared. The termination came after years of scrutiny surrounding elections in Shasta County.
Still, she said she was saddened by the decision.
“My biggest reaction was disappointment,” Francescut said.
“I'm very concerned that the progress that we've made, and particularly over the last eight years while I was a supervisor and then assistant registrar is going to revert back.”- Joanna Francescut
Francescut was terminated by the county’s new registrar of voters, Clint Curtis, under at-will employment. It does not require cause or notice.
Curtis had been in the role for five days at the time of firing Francescut. He was selected by the board of supervisors after the previous leader stepped down, and his appointment to the role has been controversial.
Curtis is a Florida-based attorney who has expressed concerns over voting machines. He has no prior experience running elections. Officials chose him over three other candidates – all who had elections experience. One of those candidates was Francescut who has worked in Shasta County’s elections department for 17 years.
Francescut said she’s worried the new leadership will hurt the election process moving forward.
“I'm very concerned that the progress that we've made, and particularly over the last eight years while I was a supervisor and then assistant registrar is going to revert back,” Francescut said.
Francescut is running to replace Curtis as the next county clerk and registrar of voters in 2026.
“I've guided the department through leadership transitions, I've overseen every function of the county clerk elections office and I have the experience it needs to understand our voters and their unique, diverse needs throughout our community,” Francescut said. “So, I'm just moving forward and going to focus on my campaign at this point.”
Shasta County said Curtis brings “a legal and technical background that includes experience in elections law, computer programming, and investigative analysis,” and “Curtis has presented himself as an advocate for election transparency and integrity throughout his career.”
NSPR reached out for comment from Curtis but did not receive a response by deadline.
