By Bill Ong HingProfessor of Law, University of San Francisco
A recall election is a process that allows voters to remove an elected official before the end of their term. Just this past February, San Francisco voters voted to remove three members of the San Francisco School Board in a recall election. You may also recall that this past Fall, there was an attempt to recall Governor Gavin Newsom that failed. Almost 20 years ago, in 2003, there was a successful recall of California Governor Gray Davis, and as a result, Arnold Schwarzenegger became the new governor. This coming June 7, there will be another recall vote in San Francisco—this one targeting the District Attorney of San Francisco: Chesa Boudin.
What is the purpose
The purpose of a recall election is to remove an elected official who is corrupt or whose policies are unwanted. A recall is one way to remove an elected official. Other ways to remove elected officials is by voting for someone different in an upcoming elections, imposing term limits, or impeachment.
What does it take to recall a public official in San Francisco
A recall election begins with a group of individuals who are unhappy with a particular public official.
To recall a public official in San Francisco, the official must have been in office for at least six months and their term cannot end within six months or less of the recall.
The following individuals can be subject to recall:
Any elected official of the City and County of San Francisco
The City Administrator
The Controller
Any member of the Airport Commission
Any member of the governing board of the United School District
Any member of the Ethics Commission
Any member of the Public Utilities Commission
The process for recall begins with serving a Notice of Intention to the official being recalled. The notice and proof of serving it to official must then be filed to the San Francisco Department of Elections (Department).
The Notice of Intention must include:
Name and title of the official who is being recalled
A reason for recall, not over 200 words
The name, signature, and address of at least 20 people who are involved in starting the recall
The public official after receiving the Notice of Intent can respond to it.
A petition for recall is then submitted.
The Department then determines if the petition is approved.
Once the petition is approved it can be circulated to collect voter signatures. Voters must provide their address. Their address must be the same as their voter registration one.
Once the signatures are verified the petition qualifies to be on the ballot.
A recall election is held, voters are asked if the public official should be recalled. A majority vote, over 50%, is required to recall.
The Mayor appoints a qualified replacement that lasts only until the next election. If the Mayor is recalled, the President of the Board of Supervisors will become the Mayor while the board finds an appointment.
Participate and Stay Informed
If you are eligible to vote for the June 7 recall election and have not registered, you can still do so until May 22, 2022 (15 days before the election).
Be informed. Always search for and ask for the true facts about any official who is subject to a recall. Do not be satisfied with slogans or hysteria. Find out what is really happening.
