UCLA Voting Rights Project Asks for Removal of Shasta Co. Elections Chief Ahead of Midterms

On Wednesday, the UCLA Voting Rights Project (VRP), joined by Sr. Advisor, Xaiver Becerra, called on the Shasta County grand jury to initiate proceedings to remove County Clerk and Registrar of Voters, Clint Curtis, from office, citing a pattern of conduct that has undermined the lawful and transparent administration of elections, including losing June 2026 Primary election ballots that he had administered and certified the results for.

“It sets a dangerous precedent if Mr. Curtis was allowed to employ the authority of his office to cast suspicion on an election he administered, certified, but then lost,” said Sonni Waknin, Senior Voting Rights Counsel at the VRP. “With another election approaching, Shasta County voters deserve an elections office that follows the law, protects the chain of custody, and administers every ballot with professionalism and transparency.” Read more here. 

Texas Supreme Court Orders Galveston County to Conduct Elections Under Prior Map

Early this morning, the Texas Supreme Court issued a ruling barring Galveston County from conducting their upcoming elections using a map implemented after the 2026 Primary elections. The County's last-minute redrawing of their map could not be reconciled with Texas state law, according to the Court. This ruling is a major win for Relators, represented by UCLA VRP, Campaign Legal Center, and Attorney Neil Baron, as well as all Galveston County voters. Read more here. 

Did you know?💡

Amongst voters in the 2025 California Special Election, every age group cast over 82% of their ballots by mail.

Source: CA Voter's Choice Act: Utilizing Bayesian Improved
Surname Geocoding (BISG) on the 2025 Special Election Voter File

VRP Director, Matt Barreto, explains how DHS voter file matching process is filled with errors

UCLA Voting Rights Project urges grand jury to consider removing Shasta County Clerk Clint Curtis

VRP Alum, Ronak Patel, authors amicus brief to US Supreme Court on USPS case

💼Employment Opportunities - Come work with the VRP!🚨

Staff Attorney

The UCLA Voting Rights Project (VRP) seeks an experienced litigation, trial, and appellate attorney to work on a new project focused on California county, city, school, and state redistricting plans and election policies. Reporting to the Legal Director, the staff attorney/California Voting Rights Counsel will play a critical role in the VRP, developing a new program along with data scientists, to track and analyze redistricting plans and proposed changes within local jurisdictions throughout the state of California. See the full job description here. 

How else can I support the VRP?

We will be sure to update you on community events, opportunities, or individual actions you can take that support our mission. If you are interested in collaborating or sponsoring our work on a larger scale, please reach out to us at info@uclavrp.org. 

If you would like to support research, policy advocacy, and impact litigation to promote equal access to voting for all Americans, please donate here. We appreciate your support!