Madeline, California Public Records

Law enforcement services in Madeline are provided by the Lassen County Sheriff's Office. This agency is responsible for maintaining public safety, responding to emergencies, and investigating criminal activities within the city and throughout the county. The sheriff's office operates a 24-hour dispatch center and employs a team of sworn deputies to patrol the region. While the overall crime rate in Madeline is relatively low, the sheriff's office remains vigilant in its efforts to protect the community and uphold the law.

Madeline voters are served by the Lassen County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, located at 707 Nevada Street, Suite 5, Susanville, CA 96130, phone (530) 251-8217, website https://www.lassencounty.org/dept/elections. This office administers all federal, state, county, and local elections for Madeline residents. California residents can register to vote online through the California Secretary of State at https://registertovote.ca.gov up to 15 days before an election; conditional voter registration is available up through Election Day at the county elections office or any vote center. To register, applicants must provide their California driver license or ID number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Because Madeline is an unincorporated community without its own municipal government, residents do not vote in city council or mayoral elections; instead, they participate in Lassen County Board of Supervisors elections (District 1 represents the Madeline area), school board elections for the applicable school district, and various special district elections. County supervisor elections are held in even-numbered years, with the next scheduled for November 2026. To find their assigned polling place or vote center, Madeline residents can visit the county elections website, call the Registrar of Voters, or check their sample ballot mailed before each election. California has transitioned to the Voters Choice Act in many counties, which may or may not include Lassen County; voters should verify whether traditional precinct polling places or countywide vote centers are used. Under California law, the following election records are public: voter registration lists (available for political purposes with restrictions), campaign finance disclosure forms filed with the county or California Fair Political Practices Commission, candidate statements and filings, and precinct-level election results. Individual voter history (which elections a person voted in, but not how they voted) is public, but ballot secrecy is absolute. In the November 2024 presidential election, Lassen County reported a voter turnout of approximately 60-65%, with the county historically leaning Republican in most contests. For the November 3, 2026 general election, Madeline and Lassen County voters will decide several key races: California does not have a U.S. Senate seat up in 2026 (next is 2028); the Governor's race is in 2026 with incumbent Gavin Newsom term-limited, making it an open race; all 80 State Assembly seats and 20 of 40 State Senate seats (even-numbered districts) are on the ballot, including the district covering Lassen County (Assembly District 1, State Senate District 1); Lassen County offices including Sheriff, District Attorney, Assessor, Auditor-Controller, Clerk-Recorder, and Treasurer-Tax Collector will be contested; and Board of Supervisors seats in applicable districts. California uses a nonpartisan top-two primary system, with the primary election in June 2026 and the general election November 3, 2026. To request a vote-by-mail ballot, Madeline residents can apply online through the county elections website, call the Registrar of Voters, or return the application included with the sample ballot; California now sends mail ballots to all registered voters automatically unless they opt out. Mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days to be counted, or they can be dropped off at any ballot drop box or vote center in the county through 8 p.m. on Election Day.