Oregon: Two Newberg School Board members leading in recall vote

Though results won't be known for a month, the latest reports have Newberg School Board member Brian Shannon and Dave Brown beating back the recall with about 52% in their favor. The recall was over a vote to fire the Superintendent and a vote to ban political flags (such as LGBTQ and Black Lives Matter). 

California: Petitioners in Nevada County Supervisors recall allegedly force into clerk's office

Petitioners targeting Nevada County Supervisors allegedly forced themselves into the clerk's office, resulting in a temporary closure. The petitioners refused to follow the mask mandate designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Petitions were taken out against five Nevada County Board of Supervisors, Dan Miller, Hardy Bullock, Heidi Hall, Ed Scofield and Susan Hoek over votes to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. There is also a complaint about using drones to inspect property. Petitioners need between 2600-3200 signatures per supervisor.

Massachusetts: Petitions taken out against Dudley-Charlton School Board members

Recall petitions have been taken out against Dudley-Charlton School Board members Pauline Aucoin, Catherine Kabala, Jeanne Costello, Jordan Evans and Kenneth Laferriere. Petitioners need about 800 signatures each. The issue seems to be Critical Race Theory and teaching about transgendered issues. 

Virginia: Push on to change recall laws

Following the Loudon County School Board recall effort, there is a move to change the recall laws to increase the amount of signatures, from the very low 10% of turnout to a higher number. The push includes getting rid of Virginia's odd recall trial law and replacing it with a normal recall election. 

Michigan: Petition language approved against two Marshall School Board members

Petitions language has been approved against Marshall School Board members Matt Davis and Shawna Gamble. The recall is over a failed bond measure. A recall against School Board Members Richard Lindsey was rejected and will need to be resubmitted. Petitioners need 2457 signatures to get on the ballot.

The petitions were taken out by former Albion Mayor David Atchison, who faced recall petitions during his term.

Oklahoma: State Senator introduces bill allowing for school board recall

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat introduced a bill allowing school board recalls. Petitioners would need 10% of turnout. 

Missouri: Nixa Mayor who survived recall vote now running for State Rep

Following his overwhelming recall victory in November, Nixa Mayor Brian Steele is running for state Representative as a Republican. 

Steele survived his recall election with 75% in his favor (808-2458). Turnout was much higher than Steele's original victory (he won 648-19). The recall was over Steele's support for the city's mask mandate to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Petitioners handed in 97 signatures, with 73 valid. They needed 67.  The recall cost was estimated to be $10,000-$15,000.

Massachusetts: Two Belchertown schoolboard members survive recall vote

Belchertown Schoolboard members Michael Knapp and Diane Brown survived recall votes, 661-1845 for Knapp and 591-1925 for Brown. Turnout was 21.7%. 

The recall was over their support for provisions to combat the coronavirus pandemic, specifically a vaccine requirement to participate in extracurricular activities. 

Knapp faced two challengers (Kristen Lech and Stephan Corbin) in the replacement race, but the votes were not tabulated. No one ran in the replacement race against Brown.

Michigan: Signatures handed in for recall of Maple Valley Township Supervisor

Signatures have been handed in for the recall effort against Maple Valley Township Supervisor John Schwandt. Petitioners handed in 370 signatures and need 274. 

The recall is over two votes regarding wind farms. One was a vote in favor of a six month moratorium and the other was the cancellation of a ballot question on wind farms. Presumably, the recalls are from opponents of wind farms. There is also a recall effort against Sidney Township Board member Jed Welder over wind farm issues.

Washington: Thurston County Commissioner facing petitions

Thurston County Commissioner Tye Menser is facing a recall petition over complaints about meetings and opposition to the purchase of a complex. Washington is a malfeasance standard/judicial recall state, so a judge must approve the petitions for the recall to move forward. The lead petitioner previously filed recall efforts against Menser, as well against Olympia councilmembers in 2018 that were tossed out by judges. Menser says that the petitioner treats actions against officials as a "full-time hobby." 

Alaska: Anchorage Assembly member recall fails

The recall effort against language Anchorage Assembly Member Jamie Allard has failed, with petitioners supposedly getting less than a fifth of the 2530 signatures needed. 

The recall efforts was over the same reasons that the recall elections against Assembly member Meg Zaletel and Assembly Chair Felix Rivera got on the ballot (both of them easily beat back the recalls): 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 was a fourth reason based on an odd open meeting violation (Allard replied to all Assembly members in an email).

Allard actually voted against the requirements but was still being targeted by the same group.

Petitioners needed 2530 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. 

Massachusetts: Two Belchertown schoolboard members facing recall vote on January 24

Belchertown Schoolboard members Michael Knapp and Diane Brown are facing a recall vote on January 24 over their support for provisions to combat the coronavirus pandemic, specifically a vaccine requirement to participate in extracurricular activities. 

Knapp is facing two challengers (Kristen Lech and Stephan Corbin), though not one is yet running against Brown.

California: San Francisco Supervisor proposed long grace periods from recall for city officials

San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin has proposed changes to the recall law, giving enormous grace periods for elected officials. Under Peskin's plan, petitioners could not start a recall until the official has been in office a year and could not file one during the last year in office. So, there would be a two year window for a recall in a four year term. 

California: Culver City Mayor and Councilmember recall effort fails

Recall efforts against Culver City Mayor Daniel Lee and Councilmember Alex Fisch failed, with petitioners not submitting. The recall was over attempts to modernize the housing code as well as police reform and the transportation project issues.

Michigan: Petitioners claim they have the signatures in Davison School Board Member recall

Petitioners claim to have over 4100 signatures for the recall of Davison School Board Member Matthew Smith Jr. (he is also the chairman of the Genesee County Republican Party). Petitioners need 3698 signatures to get on the ballot.

Smith is charged with malicious use of telecommunication services (he is accused of harassing the Houghton County Clerk by calling her and threatening to kill her dogs). 

Missouri: State Representative amends proposed school board recall law to lower signature requirement

State Representative Chuck Basye (R) has cut down the amount of signatures needed in his proposed law adding school boards to the list of officials available to face a recall vote in Missouri. Bayse's earlier version went with 25% of turnout. He now is looking for 10% of turnout. He has also proposed allowing lawsuits against school boards for willful neglect or refusing to perform certain duties.

Currently, the recall is limited to third-class cities, fire districts and ambulance districts (here's a long post from 2015 on Missouri's recall law). Bayse is promoting the idea due to complaints about the school boards' efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic with distance learning. 

There are two bills that would extend the recall to county commissioners, one by State Representative Doug Richey (R) that would require a 60 percent supermajority to vote out and a second one by State Representative Mark Ellebracht (D), which would need just a straight majority voting for an ouster. 

https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/politics/2022/01/16/missouri-lawmaker-wants-implement-school-board-recall-process-willful-neglect-lawsuits/9175389002/

California: Recall effort against Los Angeles Councilmember fails, with 13,000 signatures tossed out

The recall effort against Los Angeles Councilmember Mike Bonin has failed, as more than 13,000 signatures were tossed out. Petitioners handed in 39,188 signatures and needed 27,317. They got 25,965. Petitioners can still appeal.

This recall attempt was supposedly over the homeless issues, though petitioners were previously talking about his support for the shutdowns to prevent further damage from the coronavirus pandemic. Two other councilmembers faced recall attempts, though both failed to get the signatures.

Bonin previously faced a recall effort in 2017-2018 over his road diet plan -- the DOT's removal of 9.4 miles of traffic lanes to prevent pedestrian deaths. 

Bonin is up for re-election in December, with a primary in June. If the recall got on the ballot, the vote would likely have taken place in April or May, though that would not effect the re-election vote in June. Bonin won his 2017 re-election run with 71% of the vote.

The last recall in Los Angeles was Councilman Art Snyder, who survived the vote in 1984. The last one to result in removal was Councilman Meade McClanahan in 1946.

California: Signatures handed in against Westminster Councilmember, who is facing second recall effort since 2020

Westminster Councilmember Kimberly Ho, who survived a recall vote in 2020, is facing another potential vote, as petitioners have handed in 4045 signatures. They need 2666 valids. 

Ho, along with Mayor Tri Ta and Councilmember Chi Charlie Nguyen, survived an April 7, 2020 vote, with 57% opposing the recall (Ta and Ngyuen also survived by similar margins).

Ho seems to have switched her regular vote to join with two other councilmembers (Tai Do and Carlos Manzo, who opposed Ta, Ngyuen and Ho. 

In the last recall, the claims were of ethical violations, such as limiting debate and participation.

California: Can non-citizen voting decide the San Francisco School Board recall?

Here's some discussion of the fact that San Francisco non-citizens have the right to vote in local elections -- 74 new voters have signed up -- which (I'll bravely predict) won't impact this race. 

Nebraska: Two Leyton School Board members survive recall vote

The recall election against Leyton School Board President Suzy Ernest and Secretary Roland Rushman failed, with the vote for Ernest 196-246 and Rushman, 179-264. 

The recall seems to be about placing a Superintendent on paid leave without board approval (the superintendent is now back in office), offering an interim superintendent a contract (that person is now facing child abuse charges) and signing an asbestos removal bid before a board vote. 

Mexico: More on the AMLO recall effort

Here's another article claiming that the recall, which is pushed by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador against himself, is for his own benefit. 

California: Washington Post claims San Francisco School Board recall tearing Democrats apart

Here -- though it doesn't seem to be having that much of an effect. 

New York: New push for recall law against Manhattan DA

There's new push to adopt a recall law in New York, targeting Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Former Mayor (among many other roles) Rudy Giuliani and Republican Mayoral candidate Curtis Siliwa are pushing for the on-line effort. New York is one of the few (nine is my last count) states without any recall election provisions whatsoever.

Japan: Company president convicted over role in fraudulent signatures in failed Aichi Governor recall attempt

Looks like we got the denouncement to the crazy fraud case of the recall of Aichi Governor Hidekai Omura, as Akira Yamaguchi, the former president for a company that recruited people to forge signatures received a 16 month sentence (suspended for four years). Two other defendants are facing sentencing as well.

A criminal complaint had been filed over the use of fraudulent signatures. Hundreds of thousands of signatures thrown out because they look to be forgeries (83% of 435,000) and 48% were not listed on voter roles. Petitioners needed 860,000 signatures. According to reports, an advertising company contractor hired people to copy names and addresses onto the petitions.

The recall effort is led by a Holocaust-denier and denier of the Nanking Massacre, Katsuya Takasu, a cosmetic surgeon (who for some reason is on an arts festival committee). The event was an arts festival which included, among other art, a statue of a girl representing Korean comfort women, who were forced into sexual slavery in WWII. Nagoya Mayor Takashi Kawamura, who was the organizing committee's acting chairman, also promoted the recall drive. 

Michigan: Marshall School Board members facing petitions

Petitions have been taken out against Marshall School Board Members Richard Lindsey, Matt Davis and Shawna Gamble. The language is currently being reviewed by the Election Commission, though the story doesn't go into the reasons for the recall.

The petitions were taken out by former Albion Mayor David Atchison, who faced recall petitions during his term.

Oregon: Two Josephine County Commissioners facing recall efforts

Josephine County Commissioners Dan DeYoung and Herman Baertschiger are facing recall efforts over their votes on the COVID-19 pandemic response, wildlife preparation and "illegal marijuana policies." From the article it is not clear what angle the complaint is taking. Petitioners need about 6300 signatures by March 2.

Colorado: Avon Mayoral/Council receive reimbursement after surviving recall vote

Avon Mayor Sarah Smith Hymes and Councilmember Tamra Underwood have been given reimbursement for their recall expenses of between $5500 and $6000 apiece. Both officials easily survived the vote on Election Day, November 2, with more than 70% in favor of their retaining the office.

Here's some earlier detailed coverage of the fight. I'm not sure what happened to the recall of Councilmembers Amy Phillips.

Nebraska: Waverly School Board President easily survives recall vote

Continuing the trend of officials surviving recalls over their support for measures to combat the spread of the pandemic, Waverly School Board President Andy Grosshans overwhelmingly survived his January 11 (mail-in ballot) recall vote, 116-548. Petitioners got the 88 signatures they needed (notably, Grosshans ran as a write-in candidate, which may have depressed his turnout) Grosshans has actually been on the board since 2008. The recall was over his support for measures to stop the coronavirus pandemic.

Oregon: Newberg School Board recall to cost $65K-$80K

The January 18 recall against Newberg School Board member Brian Shannon and Dave Brown is expected to cost between $65,000-$80,000. The recall is over a vote to fire the Superintendent and a vote to ban political flags (such as LGBTQ and Black Lives Matter). Petitioners needed over 2500 valids, they gave in over 4000, and got about 3300.