Massachusetts: Dartmouth adopts recall

The town of Dartmouth adopted the recall for local officers.

Town Meeting approved a recall provision, but established strict standards to do so. The recall process first requires 2,000 registered voters’ signatures for an affidavit, then the signatures of 20 percent of the registered voters in Dartmouth within a 20-day period to trigger a recall election. Finally, a requirement for a 20 percent turnout for the recall election to be valid.

John P. Haran, a member of the Planning Board and the Charter Commission, offered an amendment that changed the number of registered voters to 2,000 from 200 but lowered the voter turnout to 20 percent from 35 percent.
It marks the first time Dartmouth has had a mechanism to recall an elected official.