Court struck down Fresno election plan for low-voter count years. County to appeal
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors said Tuesday they will appeal a court ruling that elections for top law enforcement leaders must be held during presidential elections, when voter turnout is highest.
The county lost the lawsuit last week brought by state Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber, which argued setting the election on gubernatorial cycles was against state law.
The supervisors on Tuesday discussed the case in closed session, and released a statement afterward.
'The county respectfully disagrees with the superior court and intends to challenge the ruling in the court of appeal,' the statement read in full.
The supervisors came to a consensus and no vote was taken, according to county spokesperson Sonja Dosti.
A Fresno County Superior Court judge ruled June 2 to invalidate Fresno County's Measure A. The 2024 ballot initiative that passed and aligned Fresno County District Attorney and Sheriff elections with the off cycle, which has a lower voter turnout than those on the presidential cycle.
The measure passed with a 55% vote but was at odds with an earlier law, Assembly Bill 759, that aligned the elections.
Gubernatorial races across the state routinely draw lower numbers of voters than presidential. The most recent presidential election in Fresno in 2024 saw an almost 60% turnout, while the off cycle election two years earlier drew 27% of voters.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Iran-Israel Conflict: How The UK Could Become A 'Target' If It Helps America Join The War
While domestic politics continues to flummox Keir Starmer, he has, so far, excelled on the world stage. He has emerged as a figurehead in Europe in the fight against Vladimir Putin and made sure the UK was the first country to strike a trade deal with the US after Donald Trump unveiled his chaotic tariffs. But Starmer is now facing his greatest test as an international leader: trying not to get pulled into a febrile war in the Middle East. When Israel struck Iran last week, supposedly over fears it was building nuclear warheads, Tehran was quick to retaliate. The US, Israel's strongest ally, initially seemed to favour de-escalation but Trump soon ramped up his rhetoric. He called for Iran's 'unconditional surrender' and claimed the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is 'an easy target' should the US decide to kill him. Asked if he was going to join in with the strikes, Trump said: 'I may do it. I may not do it. Nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this: Iran's got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate.' 'I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I'm going to do'Donald Trump is asked if the US will strike Iranian nuclear facilities The President adds: 'Iran has got a lot of trouble' — Sky News (@SkyNews) June 18, 2025 The US president has now announced that he will make a decision on attacking Iran within the next fortnight, giving the world some much needed breathing space. But the clock is still ticking and it's unclear exactly where the UK stands amid Trump's indecision. Starmer has repeatedly called for de-escalation, urging Trump not to 'ramp up' the situation by taking military action. But there are fears that Britain could still be pulled into the war, even if not directly. The UK will likely offer defensive, intelligence and logistical support for Israel's self-defence than military engagement against Iranian targets. Britain also shares a military base with the US in the Chagos Islands. The States would have to get the UK's permissions to deploy jets from the shared facility in order to strike Iran. Either way, joining Israel's fight could have grave consequences, according to experts. A senior research fellow at RUSI on the Middle East and North Africa Security told HuffPost UK that an escalation would 'undoubtedly' endanger international security. Dr Burcu Ozcelik explained that any western state that 'actively engages' in operations against Iran 'could become a target by Iran-linked violent extremist groups'. Iran has set up militant proxies around the Middle East, including the Gaza-based Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, although most of these groups have been suppressed by Israel and the US. Still, Ozcelik warned: 'There are open-ended, potentially protracted, high-severity risks on the horizon as terrorist or violent organisations may seek to retaliate against what they perceive as western complicity in Israel's Operation Rising Lion. 'This is part of the worst case scenario planning that will weigh heavily on US, UK, and European governments.' Attacking Iran could result in 'kidnappings, targeted sabotage, or attacks against national assets and diplomatic missions abroad,' according to the academic. She added: 'The risk of attacks against western diplomatic, military and commercial interests located in the Middle East, scattered across the Gulf, for example, is a risk, as is Iranian threats to shut the Stait of Hormuz. 'Even disruption of the Strait, short of full shutdown, which counters Iran's own interests, will impact oil prices.' The Strait of Hormuz is the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to open water and a quarter of the world's oil trade goes through it. Wael Sawan, the boss of the oil film Shell, warned on Thursday further escalation will cause 'a huge impact on global trade'. According to Sky News, the repercussions from supporting the US are not the only concerns the UK government might have right now. The attorney general Richard Hermer 'has questions' over the very legality of Israel's strikes on Iran, according to reports. As Lord Robertson, former secretary general of NATO, told Chatham House this week: 'All of these bits are on the chessboard and nobody knows really what is going to happen.' Pointing to the confusion around Trump's decision, he continued: 'It would appear at the moment that he's involved in a deadly game of brinkmanship, using the same skills that he had as a property developer. 'But this is not a plan for a condominium in New York, this is the future stability of the world.' And according to Ozelik, Starmer does not even control any major parts on the chessboard. She warned that while the prime minister may continue to call for de-escalation, 'it is highly doubtful that the EU or the UK has the leverage to influence Trump's decision making on Iran.' So Downing Street will be hoping that Trump will somehow be able to remove himself, and therefore the UK, from the chaos – otherwise the president risks getting the whole of the west into what he would describe as 'a lot of trouble'. As Trump Weighs Up Joining Israel's War Against Iran, Here's A Reminder How We Got Here Putin's Ability To Attack Ukraine Damaged By Iran's War With Israel, UK Says Keir Starmer Urges Donald Trump Not To Bomb Iran
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Trump considers extending TikTok deadline. Is third time a charm?
Will the third time be the charm for TikTok's future? With another extension deadline in two weeks, the social media platform's future lies in the hands of President Donald Trump. In January, TikTok went dark for 12 hours in the United States when China-based ByteDance failed to divest the app's U.S. assets, as required by law. Since coming into office on Jan. 20, Trump issued two executive orders to extend the ban's deadline, hoping to acquire the short-form video app used by 170 million Americans. But so far, a deal has yet to be struck. The next deadline is June 19. A plan had been in the works that would spin off TikTok's American operation into a new firm owned and operated by U.S. investors, but was put on hold, according to Reuters, after China would not approve it following Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on its goods. During an NBC News interview in May, Trump said he would extend the deadline a third time if a deal isn't made by the June 19 deadline. 'I'd like to see it done,' Trump said during the interview. The president added that he has a 'little sweet spot' in his heart for TikTok, which he claims helped him win votes during the 2024 presidential election. 'It'll be protected. It'll be very strongly protected. But if it needs an extension, I would be willing to give it an extension.' The White House declined to comment about a potential TikTok sale. It is unclear. If ByteDance does not divest TikTok by Thursday, June 19, the platform could be banned in the United States again. However, Trump has said that if the sale isn't finalized in time, he will extend the deadline again. This, too, is unclear. Under federal legislation that put the TikTok ban in place, the president can implement a 90-day extension on the deadline to sell. But Trump didn't take this route in January or April. Instead, he signed executive orders delaying the ban by 75 days. If Trump wishes to sign another executive order ahead of the June 19 deadline, he can. While it's within Trump's discretion to sign executive orders to delay the ban, there may be a time when Congress sees it fit to pass a law ordering a firm deadline, John Acevedo, Emory University School of Law professor, told Spectrum News in April. But just because the executive orders are within Trump's authority doesn't mean everyone is happy with his decisions. 'The deadline for Trump to follow the law passed 135 days ago. It is shocking that a bipartisan-backed law, signed by the former president and upheld by the Supreme Court, is being treated like a mere suggestion by the White House,' said Stephen Kent, Consumer Choice Center media director, in a news release. Former President Joe Biden signed federal legislation in 2024 that gave ByteDance until Jan. 19, 2025 to divest TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. Some politicians see TikTok as a national security threat, expressing concern that ByteDance may be sharing U.S. user data with the Chinese government. ByteDance has denied these claims, which remain unsubstantiated. However, ByteDance did not divest in time. In January, TikTok went dark for a little more than 12 hours in the U.S. after the app was effectively banned. U.S. internet hosting services made TikTok unavailable to access, and app stores removed the app for download. During the short-lived shutdown, Trump promised internet hosting services and app stores that they could restore TikTok and not face legal penalties. Under the federal legislation, companies could be fined $5,000 per user they help access TikTok. For companies like Google and Apple, this could mean a $5,000 fine for each user who downloads or updates TikTok. Internet hosting services like Oracle didn't waste time rebooting the app, but it wasn't until Feb. 13 that TikTok became available again in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump to decide Tiktok's fate no later than June 19
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Is TikTok getting banned? Trump says he'll 'probably' extend deadline again
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he will "probably" extend the TikTok ban deadline yet again before its expiration on Thursday, June 19. "We probably have to get China approval. I think we'll get it," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday, June 17. "I think (Chinese) President Xi will ultimately approve it." TikTok, a short-form video app, went dark for about 12 hours in January when China-based ByteDance failed to divest the app's U.S. assets, as required by federal law. Since coming into office on Jan. 20, Trump has issued two executive orders to extend the ban's deadline. But so far, a deal has yet to be struck, and the next deadline is Thursday, June 19. When asked by reporters if he has the legal basis to extend the deadline again, Trump said, "Yes, I do." If ByteDance does not divest TikTok by Thursday, June 19, the platform could be banned in the U.S. again. However, Trump has repeatedly signaled he would extend the deadline if the sale isn't finalized in time. Under federal legislation that put the TikTok ban in place, the president can implement a 90-day extension on the deadline to sell. But Trump didn't take this route in January or April. Instead, he signed executive orders delaying the ban by 75 days. If Trump wishes to sign another executive order ahead of the June 19 deadline, he can. Former President Joe Biden signed federal legislation in 2024 that gave ByteDance until Jan. 19, 2025 to divest TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. Some politicians see TikTok as a national security threat, expressing concern that ByteDance may be sharing U.S. user data with the Chinese government. ByteDance has denied these claims, which remain unsubstantiated. However, ByteDance did not divest in time. In January, TikTok went dark for a little more than 12 hours in the U.S. after the app was effectively banned. U.S. internet hosting services made TikTok unavailable to access, and app stores removed the app for download. During the short-lived shutdown, Trump promised internet hosting services and app stores that they could restore TikTok and not face legal penalties. Under the federal legislation, companies could be fined $5,000 per user they help access TikTok. For companies like Google and Apple, this could mean a $5,000 fine for each user who downloads or updates TikTok. It wasn't until Feb. 13 that TikTok became available again in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. This story will be updated. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: TikTok ban: Trump says he'll 'probably' extend deadline again
