Staff Reports
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law that places restrictions on the ability of local governments to manually count ballots during elections. Critics argue that this is another example of Democrats seeking control over various aspects of our lives.
The law, known as A.B. 969, was introduced in response to Shasta County's decision to terminate its contract with Dominion Voting Systems and opt for a manual count of election results. Instead of supporting this move aimed at preserving election integrity, state lawmakers, primarily from the Democratic party, have enacted this law, curbing the ability to manually count ballots.
Under the new law, hand-counting of ballots will only be allowed in specific circumstances, such as when the number of registered voters is under 1,000 or in special elections with fewer than 5,000 voters. Critics argue that this is yet another way for Democrats to exert control over the election process and limit the influence of local communities.
Supporters of the law claim that hand-counting ballots is "impractical" and detrimental to the election process. However, many conservatives see this as a power grab designed to obstruct audits and potentially manipulate election outcomes in the name of "free and fair elections."
Shasta County Clerk Cathy Darling, who advocated for the right to hand-count, expressed her disappointment with the new law. She emphasized the importance of hand-counting as a tool for auditing and ensuring result accuracy. Critics believe that Democrats are more interested in consolidating their power than in transparency and accuracy.
Despite the new law, Shasta County's Board of Supervisors is determined to proceed with hand-counting. They argue that the state legislature violated the constitution by passing this law as an urgency statute. If the Democrats attempt to obstruct their efforts, litigation may follow.
Conservatives are being called upon to oppose what they view as power-hungry liberal actions, especially those that seek to control the election process. Protecting election integrity and ensuring that voices are heard is crucial, as freedom must be defended at every turn.
