The California county where far-right officials tried to upend voting

Fears of election night unrest arose amid dispute with ultra-conservatives who insisted county use hand-count system for election integrity'

The Shasta county elections office was prepared for a night unlike any other. On the evening of this November's special election, sheriff's deputies stood inside as workers processed ballots that would decide a school board race and the fate of a proposed fire department.

Security guards were stationed outside the building in Redding, the county seat, while across Shasta, observers from the California secretary of state's office had come to ensure the election ran smoothly.