SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A local official in a rural Northern California survived a recall attempt spurred in part by his effort to get rid of the county’s vote-counting machines following unfounded accusations of fraud amplified by former President Donald Trump.
Kevin Crye was elected to the Shasta County Board of Supervisors in 2022. He, along with two other supervisors, voted to remove the county’s vote-counting machines and directed local officials to hand count the ballots. Despite the division this decision created in the community, Crye won his seat in 2022 by a narrow margin of only 90 votes.
The recall petition was filed by a group of residents who were dissatisfied with Crye’s actions but failed by a slim margin of just 50 votes out of over 9,300 ballots cast. Crye’s advocacy to eliminate the Dominion Voting Systems machines, linked to baseless electoral fraud claims, heightened tensions within the community.
Shasta County faced legal repercussions after implementing hand-counting methods following the passing of a state law prohibiting such practices, except in specific circumstances. However, in an attempt to ensure accuracy and restore trust in the election process, officials carried out a manual count for reliability.
The hand count revealed a minimal discrepancy in one ballot that did not alter the outcome of the election. As a result, Crye was declared the winner, providing him with an opportunity to continue his term. Crye’s ally, Patrick Jones, was not as fortunate, losing his reelection bid to businessman Matt Plummer.
Despite the outcome, the committee orchestrating the recall effort remains contemplative on a potential recount. While Crye retained his position, the recall attempt illuminated the community’s divisions and the repercussions of unfounded accusations on local politics.
Now that the results have been certified, voters have a limited window to request a recount, with associated costs borne by the applicants. As the dust settles from this contentious election, Shasta County grapples with the ramifications of the recall attempt and the subsequent political changes it incited.
