Week of May 31st 2021 - Episode 1 - Petition Signatures

Breakdown of the how Petition Signatures are processed for an intent to recall an elected official.

Transcript

Hello, and welcome to The Breakdown with Benjamin Nowain.

The Breakdown aims to be a weekly political news program, providing an in-depth look at events week by week, with a focus on topics that Shasta County residents should be aware of. As a Shasta County resident myself, I can tell you—there’s a lot happening right now. I'm speaking, of course, about the recall that's currently collecting signatures within our county.

But first, let's dive into this week’s headlines.

Carlos Zapata and the Restraining Order

Carlos Zapata, partner in the Red, White, and Blueprint online docuseries and a well-known recall supporter, was finally served with a temporary restraining order at his daughter’s graduation at Foothill High School. This comes after Zapata had avoided process servers on nine separate occasions for over a month. The restraining order was filed by local comedian and Black Lives Matter activist Nathan Pinkney after an alleged assault at Pinkney’s workplace. I have more to say on this subject, but I’ll save that for another episode of The Breakdown.

Special Election Costs for the Recall

Kathy Darling-Allen, Shasta County's top elections official, recently released an estimate on the costs of holding a special election. The estimated cost for a standalone recall election for one supervisor would be $400,000. If all three supervisors face a recall, the cost could rise to $640,000.

Breaking Down Recall Petition Rules

There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the requirements for collecting signatures for a recall petition, so let’s clear things up.

Anyone signing a recall petition must:

• Personally write their printed name,

• Provide their physical place of residence (not just a mailing address; no P.O. boxes),

• And sign the petition.

Signers must be registered voters in the district relevant to the recall for their signatures to be valid.

There are currently three separate recall petitions in Shasta County. It’s important to note that all signatures for an individual recall must be submitted to the Shasta County Elections Office at the same time—signatures can’t trickle in.

Signature Collection Issues

Recall Shasta, the group behind these petitions, has made mistakes in the past when collecting signatures for their notice of intent petitions. A News Café reporter, Doni Chamberlain, recently uncovered questionable signatures on these petitions. To begin the recall process, a notice of intent, including reasons for recalling each supervisor, must be published. Only 10 signatures are required to start the recall for each of the three supervisors—Leonard Moty, Mary Rickert, and Joe Chimenti.

The suspicious signatures that were made public appeared to show one household member filling out information for others before different individuals signed. Linda Wilson, one of the signers, was upset that her information was published and explained that she had filled out the address for her husband due to his vision problems. While election law technically allows for this, it raises concerns when multiple households show similar patterns.

Though no one is outright alleging fraud, these irregularities are worth mentioning. The Shasta County Elections Office confirmed that even with some non-valid signatures removed, enough valid signatures were collected to start the recall process for all three districts.

The Recall Signature Threshold

To trigger a recall election, at least 20% of registered voters in a district must sign the petition. For each supervisor, that means more than 4,000 signatures are required.

Privacy Concerns for Petition Signers

A major issue that has surfaced is whether Recall Shasta properly informed petition signers that their signatures and addresses would be published. Some residents were upset upon discovering their personal information was made public, which is part of the election code. It’s a good reminder that it’s important to understand the implications before signing anything.

Validating Signatures

Many Shasta County residents are concerned about the validity of the signatures currently being collected. According to election law, if more than 500 signatures are gathered, a random sampling can be used to validate them. While this method is generally accepted, Recall Shasta's reputation for cutting corners has raised concerns. Some citizens are calling for a full audit of all signatures to ensure they are valid and accurate, which would strengthen confidence in the recall process.

What You Can Do

If you’re concerned about the integrity of this process, you can request that the Shasta County Elections Office conduct a full audit of the signatures. This ensures transparency and maintains the integrity of our local elections.

To voice your concerns, contact the Shasta County Elections Office at 530-225-5730.

And that's The Breakdown for the week of May 31, 2021.