Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber Secure Appellate Victory in Challenge to Shasta County’s Illegal Measure B

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., issued the following statements after the California Third District Court of Appeal preserved the lower court’s preliminary injunction against Measure B, and denied a request by the proponents of Measure B to permit the Shasta County Registrar of Voters to implement and enforce portions of Measure B during the upcoming November general election. Among other things, Measure B would require voters to present government-issued photo identification to register to vote and vote in person, eliminate vote-by-mail and most early voting options, mandate the hand-counting of ballots, and create a separate county voter registration system disconnected from the state. Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber filed a lawsuit against Shasta County and secured a preliminary injunction that blocked the measure from being implemented. This new decision ensures that Measure B will remain not in effect while the case continues and directs the county to abide by the status quo and hold their elections in accordance with state election laws. 

“Measure B illegally attempted to undermine the legitimacy of state elections and create barriers that would prevent eligible voters from exercising their right to participate in our democracy,” said Attorney General Bonta. “With November drawing near, this ruling solidified that Shasta County’s midterm elections will be conducted fairly. We will not stand for baseless attacks on voting rights that weaken our democratic system.” 

“The court’s decision is an important step forward for California voters. Measure B is an unlawful attempt to disenfranchise voters and create a rogue election system that would have caused unnecessary confusion and disruption for tens of thousands of eligible voters in the upcoming general election,” said Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. “Our elections should never be used as a political experiment at the expense of voters. There is still work to do, and we will keep fighting to ensure every eligible Californian can cast their ballot in an election that is fair, secure, accessible, and worthy of the public’s trust.”

BACKGROUND

On June 30, 2026, Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber filed a lawsuit in Shasta County Superior Court challenging Measure B. On July 2, 2026, they filed a motion for a preliminary injunction which was subsequently granted and now preserved by the Court of Appeal. In their lawsuit, Attorney General Bonta and Secretary of State Weber argued that Measure B was unlawful because:

• It exceeded Shasta County’s constitutional authority. As a charter county, Shasta County does not have home-rule authority, or the power to set its own rules, over voter registration or elections.
• It is preempted by state law. Measure B directly conflicts with California laws governing voter identification, vote-by-mail, early voting, ballot counting, and the statewide voter registration system.
• It threatened to disrupt the November election. With more than 116,000 registered voters in Shasta County and critical election deadlines approaching, immediate relief was necessary to prevent Measure B from upending the county’s election system and to ensure California’s election laws are applied uniformly.

Attorney General Bonta is committed to protecting the fundamental right to vote. Just this week, Attorney General Bonta filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) challenging its final rule which unlawfully attempts to interfere with states’ constitutional authority to administer elections. A day later, the court granted the states’ request for a temporary restraining order, halting core parts of the final rule. Earlier this year, Attorney General Bonta also challenged the President’s first and second elections-related Executive orders which were previously blocked.

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