Thursday, March 16, 2023

Canada: Calgary looks to adopt recall law with very high signature hurdle

Calgary City Councillors are debating whether to adopt a recall law targeting the legislature, munciipal politicians and school board trustees. 

Petitioners would require 40% of the population, though must be eligible voters. That sounds like a significantly larger signature requirement than in US jurisdictions (almost all use either voter turnout or registered voter requirement). I do not know if they mean registered voters and if the population includes the much larger group of children and others who cannot vote, making this a particularly high hurdle. One professor notes that the signature requirement would be higher than the number of voters who cast ballots in the previous election. In one district, 99% of eligible voters would have to sign to get the petition on the ballot.

It sounds like the election would be UK style -- an immediate removal and a special election (or by-election) replacement race where the official can run for the position. 

An official can face only one recall per term.

One official, Ward 4 Councillor Sean Chu, is likely to face a recall effort over claims of sexually assaulting a 16 year old girl in 1997. Chu has rejected calls to step down. 

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