Election rules could make Newsom recall a wild ride
SACRAMENTO — There is very little set in stone for a recall election in which voters could remove California Gov. Gavin Newsom from office beyond the ballot’s basic question of whether the governor should keep his job.
Recall elections have been the electoral equivalent of a comet making its way through the solar system. Of the 55 attempts in California history to qualify a gubernatorial recall, only one, the dismissal of then-Gov. Gray Davis in 2003, has made it to the ballot. That is likely to change by year’s end, as backers of the effort to oust Newsom are on the verge of triggering a special statewide election this fall.
Though the tally of signatures on recall petitions won’t be complete until next month, there are significant issues to be sorted out. With flexible timelines and unusual rules, the coming months could be some of the most raucous political times in recent memory.
Voters can strike their names from recall petitions — The rules governing a recall election offer an unusual escape clause for voters who signed the petition that was circulated by Newsom’s critics: They can change their minds.
State election law provides 30 business days — beginning when, as expected, Secretary of State Shirley Weber announces enough signatures have been collected on the recall petition — for voters to re
move their names from the list. A voter choosing to do so would have to file a request, in writing, with the elections office in his county of residence.
Could enough voters remove their names to block the election? Probably not. Recall supporters have gathered more than 2 million signatures, with so many of them being deemed valid in the early review by elections officials that nothing short of a major, well-orchestrated campaign could muster enough defections to change the course of the campaign.
Even if the governor’s allies wanted to mount such an effort, they would probably have to convince a large number of Republican voters, who make up the strong majority of signatories,
according to recall backers.
Recall candidates could have 24 hours to join the race — One of the most intriguing possibilities is that candidates vying to replace Newsom could have as little as 24 hours to file their paperwork for a spot on the ballot.
Recall ballots include a two-part question. Voters would be asked whether they want to remove Newsom from office and, in
the event a majority chooses to do so, which candidate they would then want to take his place as governor. In the 2003 recall of Davis, won by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, the ballot featured an only-inCalifornia list of 135 hopefuls including pop culture celebrities, ordinary citizens, politicians and pundits.
By law, Newsom could not run as a candidate on the replacement portion
of the ballot.
In a gubernatorial recall, replacement candidates would have to file their paperwork — along with a fee of almost $4,200 or, in lieu of a fee, submit at least 7,000 voter signatures — no later than 59 days before election day. But here’s where things get interesting: The election could be held as soon as 60 days after the recall measure has been certified by the secretary of state.