Michigan: Attempt to recall Bloomfield School Board fails

The attempt to recall the entire Bloomfield School Board failed, as organizers acknowledged they would not get enough signatures.

Wisconsin: Rematch? Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett seriously considering recall rerun

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who lost to Scott Walker in 2010, is said to be seriously considering running in the recall. Here's an earlier post on the relative rarity of recall reruns

Wisconsin: Judge rules against recall proponents in signature checking case

The case was filed by Walker backers, and challenges the GAB's rule (discussed here) that puts some of the onus for challenging questionable signatures on Walker (and presumably any future target). The Judge hasn't made any decision in the case, but is simply not allowing the recall proponents from intervening as a party to the suit. barred the recall proponents from intervening. meaning the suit will go. There maybe some criticism, as the Judge is a former Republican state Senator, but the decision doesn't seem odd. More here

Nebraska: Omaha Mayor thriving after barely surviving recall vote in January

Jim Suttle is on the upswing. Some are crediting his surviving the recall with the upswing in his administration.

Nebraska: Dodge School Board set to be scheduled

The Dodge School Board has set the recall for either January 31 or February 7 (depending on the Election Commission). Dodge already kicked out three school board members.

California: NYT looks at Oakland Mayor Jean Quan's troubles

Nothing particularly new, but good overview of the mayor's difficulties in the face of the recall.

Michigan: Replacements for Paul Scott hold debate

Only two of the three candidates (Republican and Green Party), were there. All distanced themselves from Scott, who lost his State House of Representatives seat in November.

DC: Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner recall set for February 28

A recall against Douglas Smith, a member of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B04, is set for February 28. The proponents appear to be against the development of a Walmart.

DC: Mayor and two council members facing recall

DC Mayor and two council members are facing a recall threat starting next week. The recall requires 10% of total voters in 180 days. The Mayor, Vincent Gray, is being targeted due to his early "stumbles" in office, including personnel problems. The two council members, Chairman Kwame Brown and Harry Thomas, face federal probes.

Last year, the council passed a law (which hasn't been signed yet) removing the part of the recall banning recalls in the first and last (fourth) year of a term) if the official is found to have violated the City's code of conduct.

Texas: Signatures verified for New Braunfels City Council member, will face recall in May

The attempt to recall the mayor of New Braunfels failed, but the recall campaign against New Braunfels City Council member Bryan Miranda has succeeded in getting the signatures. The recall needed 150 signatures to get on the ballot. Vote will be in May.

The issue is a "can ban" (supported by both the mayor and the councilman) which prohibits beer cans and other disposable food and drink containers on Comal and Guadalupe rivers. Opponents of the ban ran a referendum on the subject in Nov. 58% of the voters supported the can ban.

Texas: Campaign started to recall Floresville Mayor and Council

Petitioners are organizing a "Recall Them All" campaign, targeting the town mayor and five council members.

Montana: Discussion on recalling US Senators

Don't think a court is going to okay it, but here's some discussion on recalling US Senators.

Michigan: Tekonsha Village recall on the ballot

A recall against Howard Riggs, a Tekonsha Village Council member is set for Feb. 28. Riggs is himself trying to recall the village president. The village president's girlfriend is the main proponent of the recall against Riggs.

Idaho: Petitioners launching second attempt to recall Education Superintendent

Petitioners in Idaho are launching a second, "better organized" campaign to recall State Department of Education Superintendent Tom Luna. 

The committee needs 160,000 signatures. Earlier this year, they collected 50,000. The article suggests that the state will accept printed out and mailed in petitions, which would seem to be a gigantic help for the petitioners.

The article also notes that the recall election would require more than a majority of votes to win. Luna received 268,852 votes – 60.5 percent of those cast -- and would need to beat that number for the recall to count.

The Year in Recalls -- 151 Recalls in 2011 (edited to add another recall)

Note: Since publication, I've found another recall -- the figures reflect the new recall total.

This year was a great year for recalls, and now we have some numbers to back it up. There were at least 151 recalls in 2011. Here's my Los Angeles Times article discussing the totals, and below are some more key facts from the recalls.

As a whole, the recalls were clearly very successful -- 85 officials bounced, with 76 officials voted out and nine officials resigning from office in the face of recalls. This figure is especially striking compared to the fact that the incumbent reelection rate in the US is at least over 75%. Some other interesting facts:

• Recalls were held in 17 states, in 73 separate jurisdictions. 
• The state with most was Michigan, with at least 31 recalls.
• 30 mayors faced recalls.
• 17 recalls were school boards.
• 11 were state legislators (by far the record -- the previous high was 3 in one year). 
• 52 were city councilmembers.
• One local prosecutor, York, Nebraska County Attorney, faced a recall.
• 34 jurisdictions held recalls on multiple days.
• Three jurisdictions adopted the recall

The recall hit cities large and small -- Miami-Dade was the largest municipality to ever hold a recall. Small cities with big names -- Cleveland (Texas), Houston (Alaska), Detroit (Oregon), Decatur (Nebraska) all used the recall this year.

The biggest day was November 8, with 26 recalls.

The reasons for recalls are all over the map. As regular readers of the blog know, I am very dismissive of the idea that the economic downturn is wholly to blame for the recall explosion. In fact, technology is playing a very large role in the expansion of the recall.

As for this Blog -- 700+ posts later, we're still going strong.

In the face of the "Bermuda Triangle" nature of the recall, with this continue? It certainly will, at least for next year. There are well over 100 recall petitioning campaigns out there, including a likely recall against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. And there have already been 22 recalls elections scheduled for 2012.

California: Attempt to recall Long Beach Councilman suspended after donor drops out

It one thing to have the money pledged, another to have it in your hands, as this apparently failed Long Beach recall shows.

Las Vegas: City Councilman Steve Ross won't challenge recall

Here

Massachusetts: Another attempted recall against Lawrence Mayor

Here

Wisconsin: Unions pushing against Milwaukee Mayor running in the recall

According to this article, the union is trying to clear the the field for ex-Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.

Virgin Island: Petition started to recall Chairman of St. Croix Board of Elections and Virgin Island Joint Board of Elections

Rupert Ross Jr., the Chairman of both the Virgin Island Joint Board of Elections and St. Criox Board of Elections is facing a recall petition,  because the meeting agendas "do not allow for public comment," fails to present all communications addressed to him in his role as chair, fails to follow due process procedures when addressing unethical conduct and "misrepresented the Election Board's rules and regulations on radio airwaves, when addressing the issue of provisional ballots in the St. Croix District."

Petitioners have 60 days to gather 50% of the turnout for the last election. A bit strange is that there because there were five candidates for three sports, each voter was allowed to cast three votes. So, the board doesn't seem to have a number of signatures yet.