Residents Allege Election Fraud
Joseph Holland, the county’s clerk recorder, assessor and registrar of voters, told the News-Press that all California election laws were followed in the 2020 election and that it was the most secure election in county history. This picture is a file photo of Mr. Holland from 2007.
A group of citizens gathered outside the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Monday to deliver 129 signed affidavits alleging instances of fraud in the 2020 election to Joseph Holland, the county’s clerk recorder, assessor and registrar of voters.
They also called for Mr. Holland’s resignation.
The affidavits, delivered by residents and members of the New California State coalition, marks the latest local push to allege election fraud during the 2020 election, though these claims have largely been declared false by election officials.
MADISON HIRNEISEN/NEWS-PRESS
Within the text of the affidavit, community members cited two primary complaints against Mr. Holland.
The first complaint alleges that ballots printed in 53 California counties, including Santa Barbara County, were not printed in accordance with California Election Code. The affidavit alleges that ballots distributed in Santa Barbara County did not have instructions printed on the ballot, and the group says that this goes against California Election Code 13200.
“Since the mail-in ballots for the November 2020 General Election for Santa Barbara County did not contain the statutory language, the ballots should not have been cast nor counted,” the affidavit reads.
Mr. Holland refuted this claim in an email to the News-Press, writing “Santa Barbara County Elections complied with all relevant California Election Code sections related to ballot printing in the November 3, 2020 General Election.”
The second complaint centers around the use of Dominion vote tabulation, which the affidavit says led to “major discrepancies in the final vote count for Presidential and Vice Presidential races.”
The affidavit goes on to allege that Santa Barbara County’s vote count was incorrect, citing that the county reported 129,963 votes for Joe Biden and 65,736 votes for Donald Trump, but use of a “proper algorithm” shows Mr. Trump with 93,909 votes and Mr. Biden with 99,972 votes.
As a result of these complaints, community members who signed the affidavit say they are seeking Mr. Holland’s resignation.
“We are putting him on notice that we know that (he) committed voter fraud, and we’re voicing our opinion that (he) needs to step down,” B. Grace Wallace, one of the community members who delivered the affidavit, told the News-Press.
In response to the affidavit, Mr. Holland told the News-Press that all election laws were followed during the 2020 election, adding that the election was the most secure in county history.
“All California election laws were adhered to in November 2020, and we provided the most successful, secure and safe election in the history of this county,” Mr. Holland said. “And (the election) was fantastically successful, with record turnout and record voter participation during the pandemic.”
Mr. Holland also refuted additional allegations of election fraud that have circulated in recent weeks, including the alleged ballots sent to UCSB dorms in the fall.
According to the affidavit, Mr. Holland has 10 days to respond, and if he doesn’t, he “tacitly agrees with and admits to them.”
If Mr. Holland does not respond, Ms. Wallace said the group plans to send an affidavit to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office to ask that department to investigate alleged voter fraud.
“What we’re wanting to do is bring attention to the fact that our election process does not have the oversight that we have elected these officials to carry on and conduct,” David Hudspeth, one of the community members present on Monday, told the News-Press. “And so we’re confronting them with the fact that this is not a job — this is supporting the freedoms of the people that elected them. And whenever fraud or the possible implication of fraud is present, then we expect them to take affirmative action. And this has not happened.”
email: mhirneisen@newspress.com
