Shasta County Ballot Measure Could Change Election Process

Here are the morning’s top stories on Monday, May 4, 2026

• Shasta County voters will consider a ballot measure that’s faced legal challenges before the primary election. It could change the way elections are conducted in the county. 
• The World Cup is about a month away. And FIFA luxury suites can cost over $200,000 for a single match in Los Angeles. Union workers at SoFi Stadium say they want their pay to reflect that wealth. 
• SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors, has reached a tentative four-year deal with major studios.

Measure B could reshape Shasta County elections, if courts allow it

Measure B, also titled, “Local election transparency and security reform,” proposes several changes to how Shasta County’s elections are conducted. It would require that elections take place in one day, ballots be hand counted by volunteers and voters would have to provide photo ID to vote. It would also severely restrict voting-by-mail.

The proposed charter amendment was brought forward by Laura Hobbs, Rich Gallardo and other county residents involved in local politics for years. Gallardo said he’s too busy to be interviewed for this story, and Hobbs did not respond to multiple requests. In a March interview with Jefferson Public Radio, Hobbs said this measure is intended to restore trust in the elections. “The Constitution guarantees a representative form of government,” she said. “And if you do not know that the people that you elected are rightfully in office and that the election was fair and honest, then the very foundation of our government crumbles.”

But there’s one problem: a lot of what’s proposed appears to violate state and federal laws. One example is hand counting. In 2023, county supervisors’ efforts gained national attention over a similar issue. They voted to scrap the county’s existing voting machines and attempted to hand-count future elections. Shortly after, state lawmakers passed a bill outlawing the practice, specifically targeting Shasta County. Research has found that hand-counting ballots is more time-consuming, more expensive and less accurate than machine counting. A plan by the previous county clerk estimated a full hand count of an election would cost around $1.6 million and require 1,300 additional staff members.

Now activists are again pushing to change elections in Shasta County. But their efforts face some opposition. “It’s going to disenfranchise voters,” said Cork McGowan, a Redding resident who wrote the opposition statement for Measure B. “Particularly in a rural county like Shasta, some people have to drive quite a distance to be able to vote, and to do that on one day is unfair and very unreasonable.” McGowan said he’s not part of any group. He just saw there was no organized opposition to the measure and stepped up.

The California Secretary of State’s office declined to comment on the measure, including whether it was planning a lawsuit. Supporters of the measure say that if it passes, they hope to keep the parts that are legal or tweak the measure to fit existing law.

World Cup suites can cost over $200,000. Will SoFi’s union workers reap the benefits?

Spectators in Los Angeles this summer for the World Cup could pay up to $209,000 for a private suite for just one match, but union workers at SoFi Stadium are worried they’ll miss out on the action.

Bartenders, cooks, dishwashers and servers represented by Unite Here Local 11 have staffed the events held at the stadium since it opened, from the 2022 Super Bowl and NFL games every fall to Taylor Swift and Beyoncé concerts. That includes positions in suites, where fans can pay top dollar for private rooms, food and drink. But FIFA has brought in another entity entirely to run its luxury program for World Cup fans. The company, called On Location, is FIFA’s official “hospitality partner,” offering those that can afford it exclusive seating, special gifts and meals. Their packages can cost tens of thousands of dollars or more.

Workers at SoFi say they’re worried that FIFA’s relationship with On Location means jobs that would typically go to union workers — and the wages and tips that go with them — will instead go to subcontractors without union protections. It’s one reason they’re threatening to strike when the World Cup comes to town.  ”We have so many wonderful workers who’ve been here season after season,” said Kay Blake, a bartender from Inglewood who works at SoFi Stadium. “I don’t see why they would partner with someone else to bring an experience that we can bring ourselves.” Workers also want to be paid a higher rate that reflects the sky-high ticket prices for the eight World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium. They’re asking for double pay for major events including the tournament — an arrangement that the food service workers at Dodger Stadium have for the World Series, according to Unite Here.

Hollywood actors reach tentative labor agreement with studios, streamers

SAG-AFTRA, the union representing Hollywood actors, reached a tentative agreement with major studios on Saturday on a new contract covering films, scripted TV dramas and streaming content.

The tentative agreement still needs to be approved by the SAG-AFTRA National Board, which the union says will meet in the coming days to review the terms. Details of the new contract won’t be released before then.

Deadline is reporting that the deal addresses concerns about artificial intelligence, while also boosting SAG-AFTRA’s pension fund.

The actors’ union began negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in February. In 2023, actors went on a four-month strike that overlapped with a walkout by Hollywood writers after negotiations for their respective contracts fell through. In late April, the Writers Guild of America approved its new labor contract.