Texas: San Benito considers lower signature requirements

A City Charter Review Committee is discussing lower signatures requirements for recalls. Two members are saying that lower the requirements would make it to easy to get on the ballot, though others say that the current requirements are to difficult.

Currently, the city requires signatures from 25% of all registered voters and an additional kicker -- at least 60% of those 25% had to have voted in the last election.

I have to admit, I'm a bit confused by the article and proposed changes, as it talks about raising the requirement to 35% of voters, but then talks about a low turnout election making it too easy to get a recall on the ballot (which would only be the case if they are using a voter turnout, not registered voter formula).


Part of the backstory is that Mayor Joe Hernandez feels that the committee is proposing the changes to launch against him.

The piece does gives this nice study of other Texas jurisdiction's signature requirements:

In Harlingen, signatures from 15 percent of registered voters are required to order recall elections, while Los Fresnos requires signatures from 25 percent of voters who cast ballots in the last election, according to a study released by Passement.

That study also shows that numbers vary by city.

Mission requires signatures from 30 percent of voters who cast ballots in the last city election and South Padre Island requires signatures of 20 percent of voters, but not less than 500 votes. The number in Mercedes is 33 percent of voters who cast ballots in the last election or 500 voters, whichever is greater, the study shows.

In Port Isabel, signatures from 20 percent of voters who cast ballots in the last election are required, but not less than 200 votes, while San Juan requires signatures from 10 percent of voters who cast ballots in the last election, but not less than 200 votes, the study shows.