Bedrock, USA: An Election Day Reckoning in Shasta County

[marmar]

Bedrock, USA: An Election Day Reckoning in Shasta County
The podcast follows the action on election day as far-right activists back candidates for school superintendent, county clerk and sheriff.

ByLaura Bliss
August 31, 2022 at 5:00 AM EDT


(Bloomberg CityLab) Election day had arrived once again in Shasta County, California. Did voters want more far-right leaders?

Many of the same activists who led the recall of Republican county supervisor Leonard Moty were now backing candidates for additional county positions in the June 2022 primary, including school superintendent, county clerk and sheriff — as well as two open seats on the board of supervisors. If they won in a clean sweep, far-right candidates would hold nearly all elected positions in Shasta County.

Cathy Darling Allen, the incumbent county clerk who oversees elections, was concerned — not so much about her own chances for winning, but about local democracy itself. Deep mistrust in government had clouded Shasta County politics for nearly two years, and she feared that some residents would refuse to accept the election results.

“I’m worried about our community,” she said. “I’m worried about, at the national level, the messaging that we see around the election in 2020 and what that means for election administration going forward.”

....(snip)....

Allen’s fears ended up playing out late that night. With early returns showing the far-right candidates losing, a group of their supporters showed up in person to the elections office and confronted Allen about the counting process.

....(snip)....

The stories of Shasta County and Sequim, Washington, where a group of “good governance” activists took back their city government from a QAnon-supporting mayor and his allies, show whether it’s possible to rebuild faith in elections and may offer a preview of what’s to come at a national level as the U.S. heads toward critical congressional and gubernatorial races. .................(more)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-31/bedrock-usa-episode-7-election-day?srnd=premium

[KPN]

1. Kicked and highly recommended.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

2. Good people working elections are getting hounded out by harassment and intimidation.

Maybe voters are getting tired of the Qidiots and the radicalized Republican party.