A Shasta County judge has thrown out a controversial ballot measure voters approved earlier this year.
Judge Benjamin Hanna struck down the measure in a Monday ruling.
"The regulation and administration of the electoral process is a matter of statewide concern," said Hanna. "And Shasta County’s status as a charter county does not entitle it to enact invalid legislation simply because some in this community do not agree with the existing law."
Voters approved Measure B last June with 55% of the vote. The California Secretary of State and Attorney General quickly sued the county, saying the measure violated state election law. Hanna granted a preliminary injunction in August to prevent the changes from taking effect during the November election.
Hanna’s arguments are partly copied from that injunction, that the county simply can’t make changes that violate state election laws.
"Our supreme court has made it clear that 'the integrity of the electoral process, at both the state and local level, is undoubtedly a statewide concern,'" the ruling reads.
Hanna also said that any parts of the measure that were legal, such as using paper pollbooks, can't be separated from the illegal parts.
The county chose not to defend the measure in court, leaving it to the citizens who put the measure on the ballot. Their lawyer, Alexander Haberbush, said they are considering an appeal.
"Yesterday’s ruling tells the voters of every charter county in California that they have no say over how their own elections are run," Haberbush said.
In a statement, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber called the measure a, "Colossal waste of time and taxpayer funds.”
“The proponents of the Measure knew it was unlawful but submitted it to the voters anyway," said Weber. "Today’s decision affirms what was a forgone conclusion from the beginning."
