recall election
One powerful citizen tool that we don’t talk about as much here on the CICF Blog is the power of recall. Recall allows voters to remove a particularly unresponsive, corrupt, or even unpopular elected official from office before their term is up. Citizens in 18 states have the power to recall state-level officials. Many other local jurisdictions give their voters recall powers as well.
Akron residents head to the polls today to decide the fate of the city’s mayor. Long time Mayor Don Plusquellic could be out of office as early as July, when the voted will be tabulated. This is the first recall in city history.
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic has filed an absentee ballot for his own recall election. He was joined in voting by several others who oppose the recall, most of them government officials. The election is June 23.
Kansas City voters may have a chance to recall the city’s Mayor if recall supporters are successful at collecting the 17,000 signatures necessary to trigger an election. Final petitions are due in to the city clerk on Monday.
Citizen led reform is a priority for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. He is working against the clock to push through his top issues before the official end of the state’s legislative session.
Quinn, who is trying to create a stark difference between himself and his predecessor, the disgraced Rob Blagojevich, is making his mark as a reformer. At the top of his “must-do” list are ethics reform, passing a recall measure, public financing and allowing citizens to use binding referendums to enact reform when lawmakers do not.
The Illinois Reform Commission published its “100-Day Report” outlining recommendations for stanching statewide political corruption. The commission’s report was requested by Ill. Gov. Pat Quinn and aims to find concrete way to reform the ilinois government.
The Commission failed to find consensus on one reform measure the Governor is advocating, the power of recall. Discussing the recall process Quinn said, “That’s the ultimate way to get ethics in government.”
The Coos Bay World answers the reader’s question “I want to know what happens with the recall election ballots. Where are the mail-in ballots stored as election workers bring them to the courthouse leading up to the election?” here.
An effort to recall Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has collected almost 20,000 valid signatures to put the recall question on the Nov. 3rd ballot. 19,753 signatures were required to trigger the recall effort. If recalled, Finkbeiner will leave office with about two months left in his term.
59th California District Assemblyman Anthony Adams was handed recall papers at a fundraising event where Gov. Arnold Swarzenegger was in attendance. Adams is targeted because of his vote to increase taxes.