Since 1911, California has had processes in place in which voters can recall State and Local officials. A successful recall removes the official from office to the end of his/her term. The highest vote-getter in the recall election replaces the official for the remainder of the term.

Recall ballots consist of two parts.

The first asks simply, “Shall___(named official) be recalled (removed) from the office of ________(title of the office).

The second presents a list of candidates nominated to replace the recalled official. Voters can complete either or both parts of the ballot and can write in an alternative candidate.

If a majority of individuals who complete the first part of the ballot indicate “No”, the recall fails and the incumbent remains in office. If the majority votes ‘Yes” on the recall, the person who gets the highest number of votes on the second part of the ballot is elected.

It is very important that voters pay attention to recall elections. A successful recall in effect overturns the result of the general election for the position. A low turnout carries the possibility that a winning candidate will be chosen by a small fraction of the electorate overriding the democratic principle, majority rules.

The California Governor recall election will be held on September 14, 2021. Resource links and a PDF from the Secretary of State’s website are below:

• Click here for answers to frequently asked questions about the recall from the Secretary of State’s website.
• For detailed voter information about the candidates, click here. 
• Click here for a general discussion of recall procedures in California. PDF recall documents are also attached at the end of this article.
• Check the ballot and candidates at Voters Edge https://votersedge.org/en/ca