First Take

Given all the recall efforts we’ve seen lately, it seem lots of voters think their elected officials need to depart sooner than later.

The California governor was just targeted in a recall election which he managed to survive. School board and city council members in San Luis, Ariz., have been the subject of multiple recall efforts over the past year.

I’ve heard politicians say the right of recall is being overused and abused, that recalls distract them from their responsibilities to constituents, that recalls subvert the will of the people, and that incumbents should be allowed to finish out their term of office, which, in any case, aren’t all that long.

People who resort to recalls would argue that some politicians can’t be trusted to serve out their terms.

But recalls don’t happen at any one person’s whim. A lot of petition signatures need to be collected to force a recall election, meaning more than a few people want the incumbent gone.

If nothing else, recalls are another way to keep politicians accountable.