Michigan: Ottawa County Commissioner recall paused as court hears appeal of petition language

The recall effort against Ottawa County Commissioner Lucy Ebel has been paused by the court, as she is looking to appeal the decision to accept the petition language. Trying to think of other examples of a court stopping a petition after the Election Commission has approved the language.

The recall against her is over her vote to reverse the hiring of the county health officer. Ebel is a member of Ottawa Impact, a fundamentalist Christian group who have elected a number of officials in the county. Some of Ebel's supporters claim the recall is because of her Latino heritage, though the recall proponents deny this charge.

Arizona: State Senator facing petitions

State Senator Justine Wadsack (R) is facing a recall effort over claims that she tried to promote book bans, attacking the Arizona State Bar Association, making changes to the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind and positions on the homelessness. Wadsack is a member of the Freedom Caucus.

The lead petition claims Wadsack has been attacking her as a "registered communist" and Wadsack has been accused of targeting other petitioners on social media.

Petitioners need 30,981 signatures by September 5. 

Nebraska: Signatures verified against Brownville Village Board Members

Signatures have been verified against Brownville Village Board members Natisha Helmick, Terry Vice and Bailey Bindle, with the county clerk suggesting an October 10 election. The recall is over claims of mismanagement, misinformation and not listening to input, though it appears to focus on ending the Auburn Board of Public Work's management of the village's water and waste water systems. They later hired an individual to handle it.

Petitioners handed in 31 signatures and needed 21.

California: Santa Ana City Council recall makes the ballot

The recall election against Santa Ana City Council member Jessie Lopez is a go, with signatures verified. No date has been set for the recall. 

Petitioners handed in 6617 signatures were either handed in, with 1333 knocked out (395 duplicates). So 5284 were validated and they needed 5274. Additionally, 129 people asked for their name to be removed under the signature strike law. 

There is also a petition outstanding against councilmember Thai Viet Phan, though that isn't due until August 7.

The two are facing recall efforts led by the police union over a labor contract. The contract reportedly doesn't met the union pay-raise proposals. The recall chairman cited a 2021 rent control policy as the reason for the recall. The recall effort comes after progressives won four council seats in 2020. 

The union backed a 2020 recall vote against Council member Cecillia Iglesias, who was kicked out.

The election would cost between $230-$255,000.

Nebraska: Dawes County Commissioner facing petitions

Dawes County Commissioner Vic Rivera is facing petitions, with a complaint about mismanagement and interfering with past and present employee relationships.

Petitioners need 207 signatures in 30 days. 

Kansas: No signatures handed in against Leavenworth School Board member

No signatures were handed in against Leavenworth School Board Member Vanessa Reid.

The recall was started after Reid took a picture of the lead petitioner's child's artwork that featured a rainbow flag. Reid than shared the picture in a newsletter from Representative Pat Proctor (R). Proctor claimed that the flag showed that the school library was "doing more indoctrinating than education."

North Dakota: Teachers' Union endorses incumbents in Williston Basin School Board recall

The Williston Teacher's Union endorsed the Williston Basin School Board President Chris Jundt, VP Kyle Renner and member John Kasmer in their upcoming a recall vote on August 8. 

The effort also targeted Cory Swint, Heather Wheeler and Sarah Williams, though no word on what happened.

Jundt took office in winning a recall in 2019 against school board members. 

Dennis Nehring, one of the leaders of this recall effort, won a recall in 2020.

The group backing the recall appears to be connected with Moms for Liberty, the far-right group that has looked to ban books in libraries and schools. 

Oregon: Signatures handed in against Grants Pass Mayor

Signatures have been turned in against Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol. Petitioners claim to have handed in over 4300 signatures and need 2462. 

The recall is over claims that she Bristol "does not represent their conservative principles" though there are also complaints about homelessness issues.

Grants Pass had a recall in 2009, removing five council members.

Michigan: Petition language approved against White Pigeon officials

Petitions have now been approved against three more White Pigeon Township officials, Clerk Lacie Pletcher and Trustees Jean Tefft and Vince Schroen. Petitioners claim that the trustees did not make budget documents available before a public hearing;

Petitions have been also been filed against White Pigeon Township Supervisor Don Gloy and Treasurer Trudy Gloy. Petitioner claimed that Trudy Gloy voted on re-zoning of property she bought for a residential storage building and complaints about the behavior of Don Gloy and Schroen.

Don Gloy has been a board member for 35 years (30 as supervisor).

Petitioner needs 379 signatures each to get to the ballot.

Minnesota: Columbia Heights Councilmember recall set for February 13, 2024

The recall against Columbia Heights Councilmember Kay (K.T.) Jacobs has made the ballot, and is now scheduled for February 13, 2024.

Jacobs has sued to stop the recall, claiming that it does not meet Minnesota's malfeasance standard. 

The recall is over claims that Jacobs made inappropriate racial comments to another councilmember when he was running for office (She questioned whether he was really biracial and allegedly used a fake name while doing so -- Jacobs blames a family member for calling). The council has already voted to ask her to step down. 

Petitioners handed in over 2000 signatures and 200 were found insufficient. Petitioners need 1880 signatures to get on the ballot they were allowed to cure (which they did).

Michigan: Nonpartisan Group calls recall of legislators "anti-democratic"

Jamie Lyons-Eddy, the Executive Director of Voters Not Politicians, the group that led Michigan initiatives reforming redistricting and expanding voter access, has called the eight recall efforts "anti-democratic." She also focused on the claim that they recalls are "intended for cases of criminal behavior or dereliction of duty, not sour grapes about votes that someone doesn't like."

Texas: Two Jasper City Councilmembers facing petitions

Petitions are being taken out against Jasper City Councilmembers David Shultz and Rashad Lewis. The recalls focus on Shultz's vote on a broadband issue and Lewis's calling himself "Mayor" in a social media post (Lewis is the Mayor Pro-Tem), as well as claims of a failure to comply with a public records request. 

Jasper requires 30% of turnout (213 signatures) because all positions are considered at-large. Texas law uses 10% of registered voters in a specific district.

California: Petitioners claim they have 2/3rds signatures needed for Shasta Supervisor

Petitioners claim that they have 2/3rd the needed signatures for the recall of Shasta Supervisor Kevin Crye. They have to hand in the signatures by September 12. More on that recall here.

Texas: Keene Mayoral recall petitions outstanding, while three council recalls fail in dueling petition fight

The recall effort against three city council members may be coming to a close, with no signatures handed in against Councilmembers Ray Johnson, Gwen Beeson and James Belz over claims of open meeting act violations.

A former friend of Keene Mayor Lisa Parrish, who claims that three city councilmembers tried to force her to resign as interim city manager (Parrish cast the tie-breaking vote to name herself city manager), filed the the petitions against three councilmembers, though the woman claims that it was Parrish's idea. Petitions are still outstanding against Parrish.

Michigan: Two more House Representatives facing recall; bringing total to Eight (6 Democrats, 2 Republicans)

Two more Michigan House Representatives are facing recall efforts, bringing the total ongoing recall attempts to eight. 

State Representative Noah Arbit (D) is facing a recall over his vote for (and sponsorship of) an amendment to the hate crimes bill to include LGBTQ+, the elderly and disabled). Some conservative sites have falsely claimed that the bill would criminalize the misuse of pronouns.

State Representative Donni Steele (R) is also facing a recall effort over her vote in favor of a bill requiring safe storage of guns when not in use.

California: Alameda County District Attorney Recall Heats up with DA calling opponents "election deniers" and filing charges against subordinate prosecutor

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price has now come out swinging against the recall effort, as she called the recall proponents "election deniers" and complains that she didn't hear from them during protests she held when she was an attorney.

Price has also filed misdemeanor criminal charges against one of her prosecutors, Butch Ford, claiming that he interfered with a police shooting case in 2020. For, a former County "Prosecutor of the Year" award-winner, as put on administrative leave on April 10 and has been a strident critic of Price's tenure.

Price is facing recall threats following criticism of what are seen as lenient plea deals, including a judge rejecting a plea deal of 15 years in a triple murder case. Price was elected as one of the new wave of Progressive prosecutors, which led to the recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and the serious attempt against Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon. One of the leaders of the Boudin recall effort is part of the campaign to remove Price.

Petitioners would need 92,928 signatures (though that may change) to get on the ballot. Due to the grace period, Price has only recently become eligible for a recall effort.

Perhaps worth nothing that Price won office with over 53% of the vote, which is somewhat higher than Boudin (who got 50.8%).

Washington: Three Mason County Fire District 12 Commissioners resigned in face of upcoming recall vote

Three Mason County Fire District 12 Commissioners, Brian Jutson, John Pais and Albert "Buck" Wilder have resigned in the face of an upcoming recall elections scheduled for August 1.

The recall was after a state audit called the commission as exhibiting an "overall disregard" for laws and found conflict of interests and questionable spending. The FBI is supposedly investigating. Wilder also recently voted to appoint his daughter, who is also under investigation, to the commission. 

Petitioners handed in 101 signatures for Pais and 85 for Juston and Wilder.

Wisconsin: Taylor County Supervisor recall ousted in recall vote

Taylor County Board of Supervisors Member Lester Lewis was blown out in a recall vote by Stratford Village Board President Harvey Suckow, 225-24. . Lewis represents Grover, Westboro and Molitor.

Petitioners handed in more than 200 valid signatures. They needed 170. The recall is over complaints about Lewis' behavior at Veterans Service meetings. Lewis was in office for 22 years.

Michigan: Petitions filed against Ludington Councilor

Ludington Councilor Les Johnson is facing petitions over claims that he voted to raise property taxes.

Ludington last held a recall vote in 1986, when City Commissioner Carol Cain was removed. The same petitioners had ousted Commissioner Raymond Mayer in 1984. 

Update: Petition language has been approved.

Michigan: Petitions taken out against Grand Blanc School Board Member of felony charges in fake elector scheme

Petitions have been filed against Grand Blanc School Board Member Amy Facchinello following her being charged with eight felonies as part of the fake elector scheme in the 2020 election. Facchinello was one of the 16 people who tried to falsely claim that they were Michigan's Presidential Electors in an attempt to usurp the state's 16 electoral votes for the losing candidate, Trump.