California is suing Shasta County over a voter-approved measure that would dramatically change the way local elections are run.
Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber filed a lawsuit Friday seeking to block Measure B from taking effect before the November general election.
The measure would require photo ID to vote and require in-person voting on a single Election Day. It would also end most mail voting and create a separate county voter registration system.
Bonta said in a news release that the measure is “legally indefensible” and that no county “gets to unilaterally rewrite our election rules.”
State law requires all counties to follow the same election procedures, the news release states.
The state wants California’s Third District Court of Appeal to move quickly to strike down the measure before voters begin casting ballots in the November general election.
Measure B is being approved with 56% of the vote, according to Shasta County’s latest unofficial election results.
Years of election disputes
Election disputes in the county intensified after President Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election and claims of a stolen election.
The conflict has repeatedly drawn state attention, including a 2023 law aimed at the county's effort to replace voting machines with hand-counting ballots.
The county's election battles have also centered on California's vote-by-mail system.
Supporters say Measure B would make elections more secure.
But the Attorney General’s Office said allegations of widespread voter fraud are not supported by evidence.
Weber said in the news release that Measure B “turns back the clock” on the state’s election procedures.
“California has worked too hard to build an election system that is more accessible, more secure, and more reflective of the needs of voters across this state,” Weber said.
She added: “By ending mail-in voting, restricting voting options, and requiring hand counting of ballots, it would dismantle protections that help voters actively participate. In California, we move democracy forward, we should not be trying to roll it back.”
