The National Conference of State Legislature defines many parts of the recall process. It defines recall as “a procedure that allows citizens to remove and replace a public official before the official’s term of office ends.” If an elected official is not doing his or her job, the people can call for a recall of the politician.
In a recall of a politician, the citizens create a petition to cast a recall vote. The petition requires a certain number of signatures in a certain amount of time. Then, the voters decide on the politician through a recall vote.
Only Certain States Allow a State-Level Recall
19 states allow recall elections of state politicians. Washington, D.C., also allows for the recall of state officials.
In these 19 states, people can go through the recall process for their public officials. Each state’s constitution lays out the rules specific to the state. The only exception to this is Montana. In Montana, the state statutes define the recall process instead of the state constitution. While the process does vary, each state requires a citizen petition with a certain number of voter signatures. After the petition process, the recall election happens. In the election, the voters decide whether or not to recall the politician.
Virginia also allows recalls through a slightly different process. The state still requires a citizen petition with a certain number of signatures, but the recall doesn’t take place through an election. Instead, a recall trial occurs. Rather than allowing voters to decide through an election, a circuit court decides through trial.
Many more states allow for a local recall of a politician. However, even at the local level, the process and rules can vary.
The Difficulties of a Recall
Because of the different rules in each state, recalls can be hard. On top of these rules, recalls can also get messy due to political relationships. As you could guess, after years in politics, politicians form relationships with each other. It’s these relationships that can sometimes make it hard to get an official out of office. Recalls tend to be one of the harder petition processes.
Just because they’re hard, though, doesn’t mean you can’t do it. It just means that it makes a difference to work with a company that knows what they’re doing. The more experienced the company, the better.
Josh Newman
Back in 2018, there was a Democratic senator in California named Josh Newman. One of his first moves in office was to vote to raise gas taxes. This upset many of the residents, which sparked the call for a recall election.
This proved to be a difficult process. The Democrat party even tried to make new laws to sabotage the recall. It ended up not mattering in the end, though. We were able to assist former San Diego City Council member Carl DeMai, who headed up the recall petition. Together, we handed over the number of signatures needed. Newman was recalled from his position – proof that the recall process is effective.
Why a Recall?
You shouldn’t be stuck with a politician that isn’t doing his or her job. The recall process is a great answer to this issue. If you live in a state that allows for a recall, then why not use that when necessary? Working with a company that knows how to get your petition completed ensures that the petition will result in a recall election. At that point, it goes to the voters, and they can decide if they want to keep the bad politician or not.
If you’d like our help with recalling a politician, you can visit our website.
