The citizen-led petition for election reform will be on the June 2, 2026 ballot! Vote Yes on Measure B for election reform!!
March 13, 2026
****PRESS RELEASE****
Regarding Katske's allegation that our petition did not have enough signatures:
"None of these last-minute claims are stated in or have anything to do with Ms. Katske's actual petition, which was based on completely different legal grounds. After losing her bid for a temporary restraining order, she's throwing new theories at the wall to see what sticks. We filed a motion to strike this filing this morning."
"The emails she's relying on are unauthenticated, presented completely without context, and describe a routine interim step in the verification process, not a final result. The Registrar of Voters has filed a sworn declaration explaining the full certification process and confirming that the initiative met 127% of the required signature threshold under the applicable section of the Elections Code."
Alexander Haberbush, Esq.
LEX REX INSTITUTE
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March 6, 2026
****PRESS RELEASE****
The California Court of Appeal just delivered an important victory for our clients in Shasta County – and a major win for election integrity across California.
But first, you need to understand why this case matters to you.
Last year, five local citizens – Laura Hobbs, Deidre Holliday, Kari Chilson, Jim Burnett, and Richard Gallardo – exercised one of the most fundamental rights in our constitutional system: the right of the people to legislate directly through the initiative process.
They drafted an election integrity initiative, gathered more than 10,000 signatures, and qualified the measure for the June 2 ballot.
A year ago, Shasta County filed a lawsuit attempting to block the initiative entirely. Alexander Haberbush of the Lex Rex Institute stepped in and forced the County to dismiss that case.
Then, just weeks ago, a new lawsuit was filed by an anonymous plaintiff to block the initiative.
This time, the County did something even worse.
Instead of defending the voters’ right to decide the issue themselves, county officials formally took “no position” – abandoning the voters entirely.
So, the Lex Rex Institute took up the call again.
Because the County refused to defend the people’s right to vote on their own initiative, we stepped in to do it for them.
When a local judge issued an order that would have resulted in wholesale removal of the measure from the upcoming ballot, we rushed to the Court of Appeal.
Yesterday – less than 72 hours after we requested intervention – the appellate court granted our request. This is relief rarely granted – to less than 10% of applicants! – and we are extremely grateful that the Court of Appeal was so diligent and timely in its decision.
Thanks to the Lex Rex Institute’s tireless efforts, the courts have stopped the attempt to silence the voters — at least for now.
But this case is far from over.
Time is short, and the courts must still decide whether the initiative will appear on the June 2 ballot.
If you believe the people — not Sacramento bureaucrats — should control our elections, please consider supporting this effort today.
The outcome of this lawsuit could determine whether counties across California are free to even attempt to adopt commonsense election transparency measures such as:
precinct-level hand counting with publicly posted results
bipartisan counting teams
open observation of ballot counting
voter identification requirements
local auditing and maintenance of voter rolls
citizen participation in the counting process
These are questions that should be decided by voters, not buried by procedural maneuvering or abandoned by government officials unwilling to defend the public. If we lose, county governments will continue shutting down citizen initiatives. But if we win, we open the floodgates—giving citizens across the state the power to secure their own polls instead of waiting helplessly for only Sacramento to save them.
These legal battles are expensive and time-sensitive. We cannot win without your help.
Briefing will continue over the coming weeks as we fight to ensure that the voters of Shasta County are allowed to decide this issue for themselves.
Shasta needs our help. In this battle for rights Californians hold so dearly, the entire state needs Shasta to win. We need Shasta to win.
Donate now to join the fight. https://www.givesendgo.com/Bstaysontheballot
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March 1, 2026
****PRESS RELEASE****
Honorable Supervisors,
More than 10,000 Shasta County citizens did something extraordinary: they signed their names—openly, lawfully, and in full view—to place Measure B on the ballot. Every legal requirement was met. Every signature was verified. The initiative process functioned exactly as California law intends.
Then a single anonymous litigant— “Jane Doe”—filed a lawsuit, and a temporary restraining order halted Measure B before the rest of the electorate could even weigh in. One unnamed individual has been allowed to silence over 10,000 identified voters.
That is not representative government.
We are told this is “only temporary.” But everyone understands the reality: if Shasta County refuses to defend its own voters in court, a temporary order can quietly become a permanent veto of a lawfully qualified measure.
The judge has already recognized the imbalance. He ordered Jane Doe to amend her pleadings and identify herself, acknowledging the public’s right to know who is attempting to block a countywide initiative. He also noted that the County provided no argument, no defense, and no position—because this Board voted 4–1 to remain neutral. Supervisor Crye stood with the people; the majority left an anonymous plaintiff to speak for the County.
Shasta County is a charter county for a reason. Voters chose that status so we could shape our own governance and election rules to meet local needs. Sacramento has pushed a rigid, one-size-fits-all model. Measure B is the lawful, peaceful, democratic response: voter ID, hand-counted ballots, tighter absentee safeguards, and clean, locally controlled voter rolls.
Whether any individual supervisor supports or opposes Measure B is irrelevant. The question before you is far more fundamental: Will this Board defend the right of the people to vote on a measure they lawfully qualified?
From the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence, the principle is unchanged: government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. The ballot is how that consent is granted—or withheld.
The First Amendment protects the right of the people to petition their government. Ten thousand signatures on a charter amendment is precisely such a petition. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments reserve powers to the states and to the people. Shasta County voters are using the tool the Constitution provides: the ballot, not the barricades.
We also know that many election-law disputes fall into legal gray areas. In those gray areas, activist judges often resolve every doubt in favor of centralized authority and against local control. When this Board chooses neutrality, you make it even easier for courts to rule against your own constituents.
Meanwhile, the Registrar of Voters has warned that delaying action until the April 10 hearing could force a separate election—costing taxpayers roughly a million dollars—solely because this Board refused to defend what its own citizens placed on the ballot.
Today, I am asking for two specific actions:
Direct County Counsel not to oppose full intervention by the Measure B proponents.
Provide independent defense counsel for the Registrar of Voters, enabling him to move immediately to dissolve the temporary restraining order and keep Measure B on the June ballot.
Huntington Beach, a charter city facing a similar voter ID challenge, voted unanimously to defend its voters all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. You face the same choice: stand with Sacramento and an anonymous plaintiff or stand with the thousands of Shasta County residents who signed their names in daylight.
You swore an oath to the Constitution and to this county’s charter—not to state bureaucrats and not to secret litigants. Ten thousand of your constituents have fulfilled their civic duty. Now we ask you to fulfill yours:
Let the people vote.
Let Measure B go to the ballot.
Let the legal questions be resolved after the sovereign people of Shasta County have spoken—not before.
Thank you for listening.
Sincerely,
Bruce Russell
Redding, CA
February 20, 2026
****PRESS RELEASE****
Measure B Stays on the Ballot!
Shasta County has been in the spotlight for leading the charge for local sovereignty and election reform in the state and the nation.
Measure B is charter amendment that will be voted on during the June 2, 2026 primary election. Over 10,000 citizens signed the petition in support of voter ID, hand counting, one day elections, and other vitally important election reforms.
"Jane Doe" is filing an injunction to have Measure B removed from the ballot. The suit was filed pro-se, but the complaint itself is anything but a one-person effort. It has a level of sophistication and polish that is more likely to come from a team of lawyers at the state or national level.
This appears to be their way of getting rid of us and our election reform measure, an initiative that they never liked and never supported.
We suspect that our county counsel, Joseph Larmour, who made a name for himself by personally suing the proponents of this amendment (the "Shasta Five") in an attempt to evade his ministerial duty of writing the title and summary, is behind this action brought forth by "Jane Doe".
Unfortunately, the Board of Supervisors (BOS) have chosen not to defend the rights of more than 10,000 voters over this anonymous "Jane Doe".
Though the county will be present in the courtroom they will not argue with sincerity or enthusiasm the case in defense of the citizens of Shasta County. Furthermore, we believe the BOS will be greatly relieved to have the judge pull the plug on Measure B as soon as possible.
This means that if we do not join the case and get representation by Thursday, then Measure B will be removed from the ballot, and the citizen's voices and constitutional rights will be silenced.
Judge Hanna is schedule to hear this on Thursday, Feb 26, at 8:30 am.
Please donate to this grassroots effort to preserve Measure B!
February 18, 2026
****PRESS RELEASE****
Election Task Force has the opportunity to support two election integrity candidates for the Board of Supervisors. Our group has gone before the board hundreds of times in the last three years, pleading for accountability and election reform to restore trust in our elections.
Our concerns were not only ignored, but the Board voted to indefinitely suspend the Election Commission and sue the five citizens who proposed a charter amendment to fix the problem that the board was unwilling to address.
They sued the Shasta Five as individuals, asking for them to pay the county’s legal fees should they win. Thankfully, the county lost their suit and rightfully so. The California Constitution assures that citizens have a right to alter or reform their government, as the public good may require.
Even after over 10,000 citizens signed the petition to enact local election reform, our board refused to support our efforts. Instead, they gave lip service to the statewide voter ID effort, an area where they have zero jurisdiction, and grudgingly placed our measure on the ballot for the June election.
Instead of seizing the moment and acknowledging the crisis of confidence in our election system both locally and nationally, they waited, missing the critical opportunity for a February special election. This assured that no change could be implemented prior to the most influential election of our day—the June primaries.
Our representative form of government is dependent on fair and honest elections. Without a guarantee that our representatives are chosen for and by the People, then the entire premise, on which constitutional republic stands, collapses.
Unlike other elections where the candidate’s record is not clear or has not yet been put to the test, in this election we know exactly what to expect from Chris Kelstrom and Kevin Crye. Unfortunately, for purposes of fair, honest elections and local sovereignty, we know that Kelstrom and Crye will be missing in action.
Not only would they not acknowledge their authority over local elections, they actively worked against the citizens fighting for election reform. We need local conservative patriots who are willing to fight against over-reaching state government. Because of that, we recommend Rich Gallardo for District 1, and Gary Oxley for District 5.
But “you’ll split the vote” they say. To that we say that God calls us to choose the best candidate based on morals and principles, not based on man’s knowledge or strategy. How many times have conservatives voted against their own best interest, only to end up with a “conservative” who votes with the Democrats every time? The outcome of the election should reflect the true will of the people, not fear of the alternative. For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
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November 6, 2025
****PRESS RELEASE****
Today the Shasta County Board of Supervisors performed their ministerial duty to add our election reform initiative to the ballot.
Unlike the highly unpopular city tax measure that got placed on the ballot immediately for a special election, our initiative will be voted on by the people during the regularly scheduled June 2, 2026 primary election.
Citizens followed state law and the California Constitution in collecting over 10,000 signatures in overwhelming support of this measure and it was certified before the board today as sufficient.
The board missed an opportunity to either enact the measure immediately or hold a special election (according to Ca Election Code 9118, and 1405b). Nevertheless, the proponents of this measure are satisfied that the people will eventually have their say and the measure will pass in June.
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October 23, 2025
***PRESS RELEASE***
After receiving over 10,000 signatures, the Shasta County petition for election reform was officially certified by the Registrars of Voters today. This local measure will now be placed before the voters in the next election. If successful, Shasta County will implement local control of their elections which will include voter ID, same day election results, and clean voter rolls.
Please email the Board of Supervisors and tell them to fully support the entirety of this initiative.
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Sep. 16, 2025
*** Press Release***
Re: Citizens Submit Petition for Shasta County Charter Amendment on Election Reform
Today, Shasta Election Task Force (SETF) submitted over 10,000 signatures from voters to amend our county charter to enact local election reform and control including voter ID, same day election results, and clean voter rolls. The full text can be found at SaveShastaElections.Org. There is overwhelming public support for this petition which was a volunteer and grass roots effort. We are proud of our volunteers and fellow voters that made this happen.
Election integrity is currently in the forefront at all levels of government (national, state, and local) as never seen before. Lack of action on election integrity by our local government has necessitated a citizen-led election reform petition.
As a Charter County, we have a unique opportunity to conduct municipal affairs in a way that is different than the State of California. Article 11 of the California Constitution protects this right and defines elections as a municipal affair. Charter counties and cities in California can use this as a pathway to sovereignty in a State that continues to erode the right of citizens.
Based on statistical sampling, we believe that the Shasta County Registrar (ROV) will certify the petition as sufficient. When this process is completed, the Board of Supervisors will have the ministerial and legal duty to call for an election that will likely occur during the June 2026 primary, if not before.
The County Board of Supervisors actively fought against this initiative when they sued the Proponents who brought forth this petition. The Board is also currently fighting against local election integrity in the Ladd vs. Toller case.
It is time for ALL elected officials to represent the people they serve and fight for election integrity, especially at the local level.
We ask that ALL citizens join this effort to stand in the gap of elected officials that have failed to actually represent the people they serve and affirmatively fight for election integrity. Without a fair and transparent election, nothing else matters.
The petition turned in today is dedicated to the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk.
You can read and watch the coverage at the following links:
Robert Exter video KRCR story Record Searchlight story Action News Now story
Richard Gallardo
Chair - saveshastaelections.org
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April 13, 2025
**SHASTA COUNTY CITIZENS LAUNCH PETITION DRIVE FOR ELECTION TRANSPARENCY REFORM**
Save Shasta Elections, a local citizens’ advocacy group, is launching a petition drive to introduce the "Local Election Transparency and Security Reform" initiative. This charter amendment aims to restore trust and accountability to Shasta County’s election process by prioritizing transparency, security, and community oversight.
The proposed measure will return elections to time-tested single-day, in-person voting with limited absentee ballots, hand-counted ballots by citizen volunteers at the precinct level, voter ID verification, offline local voter rolls, and election results tallied and published on election night. Leveraging Shasta County’s charter authority under the California Constitution, the initiative emphasizes local control over election procedures.
“We urgently need to rebuild confidence in our voting process,” said Kari Chilson, Media Coordinator for Save Shasta Elections. “Hand-counted ballots on a single election day will save costs, enhance transparency, and allow every citizen to witness the process from start to finish.”
Once enough signatures are gathered, the measure will be submitted to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors for placement on an upcoming ballot, empowering voters to decide. Supporters cite concerns over electronic voting machines’ lack of transparency—where only voting system companies and the Secretary of State access the software—leaving citizens unable to verify election integrity. They also reference legal backing, including the U.S. Supreme Court’s *Foster v. Love* ruling supporting single-day elections and Huntington Beach’s charter city voter ID measure which has withstood court challenge.
To donate, volunteer, or learn more, visit SaveShastaElections.org Training is provided for signature gatherers. Contact Kari Chilson at (720)899-8829 or karichilson@gmail.com. The full text of the proposed charter amendment is available upon request.
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March 21, 2025
*** Press Release***
Shasta County Civil Court Case 25CVG00515
Shasta Co. Vs. Hobbs, Gallardo, Burnett, Chilson, Holliday
Today the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in closed session to drop the lawsuit against the Shasta Five. This comes as a huge relief to the five citizens who were sued after submitting a notice of intention to circulate a petition for election transparency and security reform. Today's decision by the board comes on the heels of a Court ruling that determined the County Counsel was not entitled to an emergency injunction to relieve him of his statutory duty to write the title and summary for the petition. The Board made their decision to drop the suit based on Judge Hanna's ruling. Citizen volunteers will begin gathering signatures starting in the next couple of weeks and are encouraged by an overwhelming show of community support.
SaveShastaElections.Org
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March 19, 2025
*** Press Release***
Shasta County Civil Court Case 25CVG00515
Shasta Co. Vs. Hobbs, Gallardo, Burnett, Chilson, Holiday
The County of Shasta filed a lawsuit against five citizen proponents of a charter amendment initiative to enact election reform. Prior to circulating a petition, it is necessary for the county counsel to write an impartial title and summary to the proposed measure. County Counsel Joseph Larmour asked the judge to impose a preliminary injunction to relieve him of his statutory duty to write the title and summary. This request was denied by the Court. Attorney for the five citizen defendants, Alexander Haberbush, had this to say after the Court’s ruling:
“We appreciate that the Court recognized that this matter is not appropriate for emergency relief. The Court's laundry list of procedural and substantive defects in the County's filing was exactly on point. This is a significant victory for the right of the voters to be heard in the initiative process and we are confident going forward."
We expect County Counsel to fulfill his duty, that he acknowledged today before the Court, of providing a title and summary by tomorrow’s deadline.