Jury selection is underway in the case against former Arroyo Grande mayoral candidate and county clerk-recorder candidate Gaea Powell.
Powell unsuccessfully ran for Arroyo Grande mayor in the 2022 and 2024 elections, and only received 9.76% of the vote in June 2026 when she ran for clerk-recorder.
Powell was charged in June 2025 with eight felonies and one misdemeanor, including voter registration fraud, filing a false declaration of candidacy, fraudulent voting, failure to file campaign finance reports, and perjury by declaration.
She has pleaded not guilty.
Related: Judge rules to move forward with election fraud case against former Arroyo Grande mayoral candidate
Prosecutors say Powell lied about where she lived to run for Arroyo Grande mayor in 2022 and 2024, and used an address that was not hers to register to vote and run for office.
Powell is representing herself in court and remains firm that she did nothing wrong and never intentionally lied or deceived anyone.
Opening statements in her case will begin in Judge Timothy Covello’s San Luis Obispo courtroom once a jury is seated.
