# Controversy grows over Shasta County election hiring

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/shasta-county-election-official-hiring-controversy
> Updated: 2026-08-26T17:25:02.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 3.

Shasta County, California, is facing escalating controversy regarding its Registrar of Voters, Clint Curtis, and his proposal to hire Tina Peters as an elections consultant or assistant registrar. Peters, a former Mesa County, Colorado, official, was convicted in August 2024 on seven counts of election interference and was recently released from prison following a commuted sentence. While Curtis maintains that Peters would not have access to voting systems or county email, her legal team is currently reviewing the role, noting that her parole conditions require her to live and work in Colorado.

The situation has intensified as county leadership has called for investigations by the FBI and the California Attorney General into Curtis’s official conduct. Deputy CEO Stewart Buettell characterized Curtis’s claims regarding the June primary election as “frivolous” and “unproven.”

Reports indicate that Curtis has sequestered primary ballots in a locked room, using duct tape and signs to prevent access, alleging the ballots “did not look, feel or smell right.” This follows a history of election denialism activism in the region, including a 2023 attempt by the county’s governing body to replace Dominion Voting Systems with a hand-count method, an effort that was ultimately blocked by the state.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-26: Shasta County officials call for investigation into election registrar

Shasta County officials are calling for federal investigations into registrar Clint Curtis following his claims of election irregularities and his proposal to hire former Colorado official Tina Peters as a way.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/shasta-county-officials-call-for-investigation-into-election-registrar

### 2026-08-19: Shasta County plans to hire convicted election official Tina Peters

California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff have expressed grave concern over Shasta County's plan to hire convicted felon and former Colorado election official Tina Peters as an assistant registrar.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/shasta-county-plans-to-hire-convicted-election-official-tina-peters

### 2026-08-17: Shasta County plans to hire Tina Peters as elections consultant

Shasta County, California, plans to hire former Colorado election official Tina Peters as an elections consultant, despite her previous conviction for election interference.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/shasta-county-plans-to-hire-tina-peters-as-elections-consultant

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Cite as: Controversy grows over Shasta County election hiring. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/shasta-county-election-official-hiring-controversy