Michigan: State Representative facing recall over bribery and extortion charges

Michigan State Representative Larry C. Inman (R) is facing petitions after a grand jury charged him with attempted extortion, bribery and lying to the FBI. Inman is accused of trying to get a bribe from a union group for a vote to repeal the state's prevailing wage law. Petitioners would need 12201 signatures to get on the ballot.

Update: Petitions have been filed.

Colorado: Signatures handed against Brighton Mayor

Petitioners handed in 1300 signatures for the recall of Brighton Mayor Ken Kreutzer, who is facing criticism over water overcharges. Petitioners needed 1136 signatures.

Update: 1782 signatures were finally handed in.

New Jersey: Petitions taken out against Englewood Cliffs Councilmembers

Petitions have been taken out against Englewood Cliffs Council members Edward Aversa (D) and Gloria Oh (D) over claims that they didn't do due diligence on affordable housing and other issues related to development. Aversa, who is running for mayor in the fall, claims that Mayor Mario Kranjac (who is also on the ballot) is behind the recall.

Petitioners would need more than 900 signatures (25% of registereds) in 160 days.

California: Dixie School Board recall attempt fails to turn in any signatures

The recall effort against Dixie School District Trustee Marnie Glickman has failed, with petitioners not handing in any signatures. Glickman had previously announced she would not run for reelection.  The issue was a vote to change the name of the district from Dixie, due to its confederate connection. The board has voted to rename the district Miller Creek Elementary School District and the school as Lucas Valley Elementary School.

Petitioners needed 2851 signatures and claimed they were close.

Taiwan: Recall threatened against Kaohsiung Mayor/Kuomintang Presidential candidate

Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, who was also just nominated as the Kuomintang Presidential candidate, is being threatened with a recall following flooding in the town (though presumably this may be part of the presidential political wrangling).

Arizona: Lawsuit looks to overturn state law limiting who can collect signatures

The Election Law Blog notes a lawsuit in Arizona that looks to overturn a state law that limits who can collect signatures for initiatives, referendum and recalls.

Massachusetts: Ranked Choice Voting Supporters cite Fall River Mayoral race

A move to push Ranking Choice voting in Massachusetts has seen the recall removal/replacement victory of Mayor Jasiel F. Correia II (D) as a key point in the claim.

Correia is under indictment for stealing from investors and tax fraud and lost the recall run overwhelmingly, 7829-4911. However, Massachusetts allows a candidate facing a recall to run in the replacement race (not that uncommon a provision). In this case, Correia was one of five candidates. He came in first with about 35% of the vote, beating out City Councilor Joseph Camara, School Committee member Paul Coogan, School administrator Kyle Riley and Erica Scott-Pacheco. An editorial in the Boston Globe noted this possible result.

Note on how that works:

While this is an unusual development, it is not unprecedented -- though I will have to search for the same result.

The reason that it is unusual is that having a replacement race where the candidate can run in the replacement race is itself not the standard recall law. Many jurisdictions do not have the "up or down" vote on a recall -- instead they just have a new election for the position, featuring a guaranteed slot for the candidate (Michigan, Wisconsin have this). Some places do not have a replacement race and instead just allow for an appointment to the position (notably Oregon); Rhode Island gave the position to the second place finisher in the last election. California has an up or down vote on the recall, but the candidate is barred from seeking the office in the replacement race.

That said, it is not that uncommon and in fact Fall River almost saw this result a little over four years ago. The city had a recall against then Mayor Will Flanagan. Flanagan lost the recall, but came in second in the replacement vote.

 Louisiana proposed changing its law to ban recall loser from running in a replacement race after one such candidate got 1/3rd of the vote after being kicked out (though that candidate did not win). Here's some other examples of candidates running in the replacement race and losing.

Update: In 1982, Mansfield, Massachusetts Selectman John McNair pulled off this exact type of victory (losing the recall, winning the retention race). This was part of a four person recall (over the firing of a town manager). The other three Selectmen, David May, Frank Ciolella and Norman Manhana, lost their seats.  The race is noted in Joseph Zimmerman's The Recall: Tribunal of the People.

Wisconsin: Door County Supervisors petitions rejected by clerk

A clerk turned down the petitions against Door County Supervisors John Neinas and Roy Englebert due to claims of errors and invalid signatures. The two are facing petitions over their vote for a plan to draw down the Forestville Dam Mill Pond to dry out contaminated sediment from the pond. Opponents claim it will hurt the fish stock.

Washington, DC: Signature collection ongoing against Council member

Petitioners claim they have one third the needed signatures to get a recall against Council Member Jack Evans (D) on the ballot. The recall is over a probe into financial dealings.

They need approximately 5200 signatures (10% of registereds) by November  Evans has been in office for 28 years

California: Torrance Treasurer recall gains backers in City Council

City Councilmembers are backing the recall of Torrance Treasurer Dana Cortez after she hasn't shown up for work in nearly five months (she claims medical issues). Cortez has had her leave extended until September 30, which will be nearly a year since she last appeared. The council cut her salary by 50% and reassigned half her duties following allegations of mismanagement prior to her leave.

Petitioner needs about 13000 signatures. Petitioners claim they have 1500. The article notes that the last successful recall in Torrance was in 1941.

Michigan: Petitions rejected in Chesaning Village Council President recall

Petitions against Chesaning Village President Joseph Sadlar Jr. over the firing of a police chief have been rejected over clarity questions, though new language have been handed in, so expected it eventually to be approved.

Idaho: Bannock County Assessor facing recall effort over property tax increases

Petitions have been taken out against Bannock County Assessor Sheri Davies over property tax increases, with a focus on a delay in assessments, and miscommunication about deadlines and a lack of communication. Petitioners need 8302 signatures (20% of registered voters) in 75 days.

Michigan: Albion Mayor Pro Tempore Recall set for November 5

Albion Mayor Pro Tempore Sonya Brown is set for a recall vote on November 5. The recall is over the removal of the head of the Albion Public Safety Department. Brown's recall has been in court.

Petitions are presumably still out against Albion Mayor Dave Atchison  and Councilwoman Jeanette Spicer.

Wisconsin: Split vote in Merrill; Four Alderman survive; One ousted

Merrill Aldermen Council President Rob Norton (133-104) and Aldermen John VanLieshout (103-97), Dave Sukow (52 votes out of 58), Paul Russell (150-91) survived a recall vote. Alderman Tim Meehean lost to Steve Sabatke (91-72).

The issue was confusion over a property tax rate increase which was higher than expected (which seems to have been done due to a calculating error).

Maine: Petitions taken out against Four Mechanic Falls Councilors over Town Manager firing

Mechanic Falls Council Chair Cathy Fifield, Vice Chair Wayne Hackett and Councilors Nicholas Konstantoulakis and John Emery are facing petitions over the recent 4-1 vote to dismiss Town Manager Zakk Maher in what is alleged to be a violation of the Open Meeting Act.

Petitioners need at least 192 signatures in 30 days (15% of gubernatorial turnout). There is a "absentee veto" provision, where the total votes in the recall must be at least 30% of the those cast in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

Oregon: Recall filed against Governor

2019 seems to be the year of the Gubernatorial Recall, as Oregon now joins the fray. Bill Currier, the chairman of the State Republican Party, has filed recall papers against Governor Kate Brown (D). Another petition was also filed by a local resident, focusing on homeless issues.

The GOP Recall effort seems pretty nakedly political, though the issue cited is the Democrats support of various climate change bills.

The recall was filed on the first possible day (after Brown had been in office six months). Petitioners would need 280,050 in 90 days. 

Oregon, the first state to adopt the recall for state-level officials way back in 1908, has had recalls against three state legislators, but never a Governor. Brown actually got the job when her predecessor John Kitzhaber face a recall threat.

What is perhaps most noteworthy is that Oregon's recall law does not provide for the election of a replacement. Replacements are instead "filed immediately in the manner provided by law for filing a vacancy in that office arising from any other cause." 

For Oregon, that means that Secretary of State Beverly Clarno (R), an 83-year old former Speaker of the State House of Representatives, who was recently appointed after the death of her predecessor, would  automatically become Governor. Clarno was appointed by Brown herself.

This no-vote provision is fairly common on the local level. However, it is relatively rare on the state level. I believe Idaho has a similar provision (though state lawmakers appointed for a vacancy must be of the same party). In the wake of a 2011 state House recall and the 2012 Wisconsin recalls next door, Michigan changed its law so that the Governor  would be replaced by the next in line (i.e., the Lieutenant Governor), thereby short circuiting any recall push. 

Colorado: Petitions approved against two more Democratic Senators

Many more developments in the Colorado recall campaigns: Petitions have been taken out against Senators Brittany Pettersen (D) and Pete Lee (D). Petitioners would need 18,376 signatures for Pettersen and 11,304 signatures for Lee. Two GOP Senators question the recall push here.

Nebraska: Two Antelope Commissioners facing petitions

Antelope Commissioners Tom Borer and Allan Bentley are facing recall efforts over claims of mismanagement of funds. Petitioners need 203 signatures for Borer and 135 signatures for Bentley (35% of turnout) in 30 days.

Oklahoma: Four Pawhuska Councilors facing recall effort

Pawhuska Councilors John Brazee, Mark Buchnan, Rodger Milleson and Roger Taylor are facing a recall effort following the firing and subsequent rehiring a police chief. The fifth councilor, Jourdan Foran, is exempt from the recall.

Petitioners would need 108 signatures.

Wisconsin: Signatures handed in against Vernon Supervisor

Vernon Town Supervisor Ed Moline is facing a recall effort over what appears to be his support for a boundary agreement between Vernon and Mukwonago. The petition specifically cites his approval of three newsletters that "favorably discussed" the agreement. Residents overwhelmingly opposed the agreement in a nonbinding referendum, 816-90.

Petitioners handed in over 1300 signatures. I'm not sure how many are needed to get on the ballot.