UK: Conservative MP facing calls for recall over lobbying

Conservative MP Owen Paterson is facing calls for a recall, with the House of Commons set to suspend him for 30 days for lobbying on behalf of Randox and Lynn's Country Foods (he worked for them as a paid consultant). UK has a malfeasance standard requiring the official to be convicted -- though face less than a year in prison -- or be suspended by a parliamentary committee for at least 10 days. Petitioners need 10% of registered voters to sign for the recall to go to the ballot.

Update: Paterson resigned. 

UK: Conservative MP escapes recall for sexual harassment/misconduct charges due to loophole

A Conservative MP, Rob Roberts, has escaped facing a recall effort due to an unusual loophole in the rules. Roberts was accused of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. He was suspended by an independent panel. However, because the suspension was not enacted by a parliamentary committee, Roberts was not eligible for a recall (UK has a particular standard, requiring the official to be convicted -- though face less than a year in prison -- or be suspended by a parliamentary committee for at least 10 days). The Conservative Party is looking into closing the loophole.

Hawaii: Maui Mayor facing petitions over efforts to combat the pandemic spread

Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino is facing recall efforts over mandates designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Petitioners have also claimed some other issues (water needs/housing/transparency), but the story suggests that it is clearly a COVID recall.

Petitioners need 21,586 signatures (20% of registereds) in 30 days. 

I do not know of a single recall that has gotten to the ballot in Hawaii. 

Washington: Judge tosses out recall effort against Central Valley School Board members

A Spokane County Superior Court judge has tossed out the recall effort against Central Valley School District President Debra Long and Directors Cynthia McMullen and Keith Clark. The petitions claimed that the districts masking and vaccine rules (which are state rules) to fight the coronavirus pandemic are a violation of the ADA, and also claimed that Long lives outside the district for the last nine years (she has been on the board since 2003). 

Washington is a malfeasance standard/judicial recall state and the judge has to approve the petition (which must show a violation of the law). 

The lead petitioner, Rob Linebarger, is a candidate for the school board, though he has endorsed his opponent in the race. It sounds like he will not attempt an appeal. 

California: Poway Mayor facing recall effort

Poway Mayor Steve Vaus is facing a recall effort over claims that he violated the Political Reform Act and complaints about an annual fundraising concert. The focus seems to be development issues. 

Petitioners need 6651 signatures by February 17.  Chris Olps, who lost three council runs, is a leader of the recall. 

Vaus, who won a Grammy as a country singer, was a leader of the 2009 recall effort against Councilwoman Betty Rexford. 

Update: Recall failed, as petitioners did not turn in signatures. 

Alaska: Anchorage Assembly member beating back recall in early results

Anchorage Assembly member Meg Zaletel appears to be easily beating back the recall election against  held on October 26, with 60% of the vote in her favor after 10,600 votes have been counted.

Anchorage Assembly Chair Felix Rivera defeated a recall in April. The issue seems to be the same -- over a meeting which, due to the size of the audience, violated the emergency order limiting crowds during the coronavirus pandemic (there may have been 17 people at the meeting, which had a limit of 15). Petitioners seem to be opposed to masking requirements and other efforts to combat the pandemic.

There is also an ongoing attempt is to recall Anchorage Assembly Member Jamie Allard.

California: Petitioners hand in 83K+ signatures for SF District Attorney recall, over 30K cushion

Petitioners look to be in a very strong position to get the recall effort against San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin on the ballot, as they handed in over 83,487 signatures. They need 51,325 valids. This should put them well in the safety category. 

The recall (San Franciscans for Public Safety) is led by local Democrats Mary Jung (the former chair of the local Democratic Party) and Andrea Shorter.

A first recall effort against Boudin failed, with petitioners claiming that they were1714 signatures short (though that is before verification, so it could be a lot less).

This first recall was led by former Republican Mayoral candidate Richie Greenberg (though Greenberg said he was replaced as head of the effort). It was considered the "Republican" recall. The recall is over complaints over lenient treatment of criminals. Recall efforts kicked into high gear after a convict who was arrested on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle and violating probation was released without bail and then ran over two women while running a red light. 

 

Taiwan: Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Ousted in Recall

Taiwan Legislator Chen Po-Wei (pro-independence Taiwan Statebuilding Party) was ousted in a recall election on October 23 vote, 77,899-73,433 looking for removal. Petitioners needed to not only win the election, but turnout needed to top 25% of registered voters in the district, which seems to be 73,744. Turnout was at 51.72%. Frequently, in these "absentee veto" recalls, the total is completely one-sided, as the opposition doesn't vote to deprive the recall proponents of the turnout needed. This case was clearly different. 

The replacement race will be held in three months.

 The KMT is supporting the recall and has made it an issue in the ongoing difficulties with China. This is also seen as part of a "revenge recalls" over the ouster of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-Yuto.

A vote would require 25% turnout (72,281) to succeed (as well as actually winning that vote). 

Chen is the first member of his party to win a seat, beating a local dynasty in 2020. 

California: Petitioners days away from deadline in San Francisco District Attorney recall effort

Petitioners are coming down to the wire in the recall effort against San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, though organizers have not revealed how many signatures they have, though they said that the gathering is over. Petitioners need 51,325 signatures by October 25.

The recall (San Franciscans for Public Safety) is led by local Democrats Mary Jung (the former chair of the local Democratic Party) and Andrea Shorter.

A first recall effort against Boudin failed, with petitioners claiming that they were1714 signatures short (though that is before verification, so it could be a lot less).

This first recall was led by former Republican Mayoral candidate Richie Greenberg (though Greenberg said he was replaced as head of the effort). It was considered the "Republican" recall. The recall is over complaints over lenient treatment of criminals. Recall efforts kicked into high gear after a convict who was arrested on suspicion of driving a stolen vehicle and violating probation was released without bail and then ran over two women while running a red light. 

 

California: Shasta County Supervisor recall makes the ballot, vote scheduled for February 8

The recall of Shasta County Supervisor Leonard Moty has gotten to the ballot. Petitioners handed in 6032 signatures. They need 4308 valids to get on the ballot and got 4476. The recall has been scheduled for February 8, 2022. 

No signatures were handed against Supervisors Mary Rickert (4432 needed) and Joe Chimenti (4392 needed). The recall is over the Supervisors support for restrictions to fight the Covid pandemic. Petitioners claim they will restart the recall effort against Rickert and Chimenti, though they presumably would have to start from scratch and Chimenti's up for reelection in June. 

Here's a vastly more detailed look at the fight. There is also a claim that the recall proponents have copied their logo from the QAnon logo. Supervisor Patrick Jones joined the petitioners in their handing in the signatures.  

The cost for a recall election is estimated is between $200,000 and $400,000.

Nebraska: Waverly School Board President facing petitions

Waverly School Board President Andy Grosshans is facing petitions over his support for measures to stop the coronavirus pandemic. Petitioners need 88 signatures in 30 days (by October 30). 

(The newspaper is in Wahoo, home of Wahoo Sam Crawford, the All-Time MLB career leader in Triples. Until this moment, I assumed the nickname was about his personality, not his hometown)

Michigan: Petitions filed against Benton Harbor Mayor

Petitions have been filed against Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad over the recent findings that there is lead in the water pipes, preventing residents from using them. Muhammad won the office over Mayor James Hightower, who was the target of recall petitions (from a petitioner who later went to jail for fraud in the signature gathering process).

Vermont: Underhill Selectman Ousted in Recall vote -- May be first recall in state's history

Big moment in Vermont Recall history, as Underhill Selectman Peter Duval was ousted in a recall vote, 570-23. The recall was over charges of conflict of interest and failing to behave in a respectful manner. The conflict was asking the town's lawyer to let him know about litigation -- Duval had been in litigation against the town over a zoning issue. Petitioners handed in 415 signatures to get the recall on the ballot. 

Voters adopted the recall on Town Meeting Day (the drafting was only in July). 16 towns in Vermont have recall amendments, though the story claims that it was the first use in Vermont's history. The replacement is chosen by the board.

California: San Francisco School Board recall makes the ballot, scheduled for February 15, 2022

The recall effort against San Francisco Board President Gabriela Lopez, former Vice President Alison Collins and member Faauuga Moliga has made the ballot and been scheduled for February 15, 2022.  Petitioners handed in over 81.200 signatures and they needed 51,285 to get on the ballot (it's not clear yet how many valids they got).  Collins also dropped a lawsuit $87 million lawsuit against the board for removing her from the VP position.

The School Board recall is over a few issues, including a push to plan for the reopening of the schools, changing admissions for a high school and an extremely controversial decision to change the names of public schools for political reasons and using some odd history, including removing the name of Abraham Lincoln. Mayor London Breed has been particularly critical of the board, and the City Attorney Dennis Herrera has sued to compel reopening. 

Other board members Jenny Lam, Mark Sanchez and Kevine Boggess and Matt Alexander, will not be able to face a recall until June. 

California has been happy to kick out school board members over the last decade -- 25 have been removed in a recall vote, 7 have resigned, one has been kicked out by the board and only 6 survived a recall vote.

As I note in the Politico story, this may be the most noteworthy school board recall since the Lost Year recall in 1959 in Little Rock, Arkansas. I consider the 1959 event, which helped end the fight to keep the schools segregated in the wake of Brown v. Board of Ed., the recall's finest hour and arguably the most important recall in US history. 

Alaska: New Recall Effort launched against Anchorage Assembly member

Another attempt is being made to recall Anchorage Assembly Member Jamie Allard is facing recall efforts over the same reasons that the recall elections against Assembly member Meg Zaletel (scheduled for October 26) and Assembly Chair Felix Rivera (defeated a recall in April) got on the ballot. The issue seems to be over a meeting which, due to the size of the audience, violated the emergency order limiting crowds during the coronavirus pandemic (there may have been 17 people at the meeting, which had a limit of 15). Petitioners seem to be opposed to masking requirements. There is a fourth reason based on an odd open meeting violation (Allard replied to all Assembly members in an email).

Petitioners needed about 2500 signatures. 

Allard previously faced a recall effort that failed after she posted on Facebook defending vanity license plates with the words "fuhrer" and "3reich." Allard also alleged wrote that the words "are simply German words with no offensive connotation." She also said alleged wrote that "progressives have put a spin on it and created their own definition." 

Governor Mike Dunleavy has since removed Allard from the state's Human Rights Commission. 

California: Op-ed on the dangers of moving to an "automatic replacement" model for recalls

I'll have a lot more to say about the proposed changes to the recall law, but here's an op-ed I co-wrote with David Carrillo taking down the proposed "automatic replacement" model. 

Nebraska: Signatures handed in against Giltner School Board member

Petitions have handed in signatures for the removal of Giltner School Board President Chris Waddle over what seems to be a tax levy. It is not clear how many were handed in from the articles, but they need 119 signatures. 

UK: MP facing recall threats after harassment conviction

MP Claudia Webbe (formerly Labour, now independent) is facing recall threats after she was convicted of harassment for calling her partner's friend and threatening her with acid (and also release naked pictures and videos of the friend). The UK's Recall Law requires a conviction to be used (if the sentence if more than a year, than the MP is automatically expelled, but there was no jail time here). Petitioners would need the signatures of 10% of registered voters in six weeks.

Webbe replaced Keith Vaz as MP. Vaz also was a potential candidate for recall. 

California: Little Hoover Commission hearings on the recall

Here's a Politico article (quoting me) on the Little Hoover Commission and recall reform proposals. I also give some thoughts on the District Attorney recall attempts in SF and LA.

Michigan: Secretary of State says donations to Governor for recall fight must be returned or donated

The $3.4 million that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) raised to fight off a recall will have to be returned to donors or donated to other sources according to a filing by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Benson's filing was part of a lawsuit filed by the GOP Chairman Ron Weiser looking to declare the recall exception unconstitutional (though, oddly, it was about the GOP preferred candidates for governor. Since there is no replacement race -- the LG takes over -- I'm not sure how that would work). 

Whitmer was able to raise funds in unlimited amounts, rather than the $7,150 usual limit. Anyone paying attention to the California and Wisconsin recalls will be well familiar with this result. Petitioners would need 1,062,647 signatures to get on the ballot and here's a bill that is being proposed to get the recall law in-line with other campaign finance rules.