Two of the five finalists for the county’s top elections job applied for the position last year, after the elected county clerk stepped down due to health issues.
Supervisors appointed Tom Toller to the seat in July 2024. Now, Toller is stepping down this month, forcing county supervisors to appoint another clerk until the seat is up for election next year.
Deputy County Clerk Joanna Francescut has been the favorite among community members. She was passed over for the job last year in part because of political maneuverings by supervisors.
"With looming federal legislation and the President's recent Executive Order on elections, it's more important than ever to have competent, qualified and experienced leadership in the County Clerk and Elections Office to manage and implement these changes," Francescut said in her cover letter. "I have shown that I can lead a department through significant change and follow all laws in the process."
Also returning is Clint Curtis, a New York attorney and self-described “election integrity advocate.”
Curtis wants the county to hand-count all ballots, a practice that’s been shown to be more time-consuming, more expensive and less accurate than using machines.
Despite saying he will "strictly follow all state and federal laws," Curtis said that he wants to unify the citizens to get on board with hand-count elections, which is illegal under state law.
"I will bring competence to the elections department so that the county can end the constant problem of lawsuits after each election," Curtis said in his cover letter.
Shasta County does not face a lawsuit after every election.
Laura Hobbs, who lost a race for county supervisor last year, filed a lawsuit alleging irregularities in her race. But the judge ruled in favor of the county, and an appeals court dismissed her case, saying it was unnecessary.
Three other candidates with prior election experience also applied.
Denay Harris is currently the director of elections for the City of Richmond, Virginia. Elle Sharp was the elections chief in Douglas County, Nevada, and currently helps develop the state's voter registration system. And Robin Underwood is the deputy city clerk in Eastpointe, Michigan, with a background in education.
This slate of candidates is different than last year, when the majority of candidates had no prior experience running elections.
All five candidates will be interviewed publicly by the Board of Supervisors on April 30.
