Source: https://www.scribd.com/document/134984706/200908-Alameda-County-Guide-for-Recalling-Local-Officeholders
Timestamp: 2017-08-18 20:37:40
Document Index: 674093853

Matched Legal Cases: ['§11001', '§11024', '§11006', '§11007', '§11201', '§11005', '§11021', '§11023', '§11020', '§8062', '§11005', '§11021', '§11020', '§6061', '§11042', '§11023', 'art 8', '§100', '§11042', '§11041', '§11040', '§100', '§11041', '§11021', '§11047', '§11043', '§104', '§11042', '§11042', '§11042', '§11042', '§11042', '§11220', '§11220', '§11221', '§11221', '§8203', '§11221', '§103', '§322', '§100', '§100', '§11047', 'art 2', '§2102', '§2138', '§104', '§104', '§18600', '§18600', '§18601', '§18603', '§18650', '§18610', '§18611', '§18612', '§18613', '§18614', '§18630', '§11222', '§11222', '§11223', '§11224', '§11224', '§11225', '§11225', '§11226', '§11300', '§11224', '§11301', '§11302', '§11240', '§11328', '§11329', '§11241', '§11242', '§1100', '§11242', '§11381', '§11381', '§11327', '§11381', '§11381', '§8104', '§13', '§13307', '§11327', '§11320', '§11322', '§13111', '§11325', '§11325', '§11384', '§11386', '§11386', '§11007', '§1', '§11020', '§11020', '§11020', '§1100', '§110410', '§ 11043', '§11043']

200908_Alameda County Guide for Recalling Local Officeholders | Petition | Elections
Description: Alameda County guide for recalling local officeholders. By the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. Dated: Aug. 2009.
Alameda County guide for recalling local officeholders. By the Alameda County Registrar of Voters. Dated: Aug. 2009.
For County, School Districts , Special Districts, and Local Judicial Offices
Alameda County Registrar of Voters 1225 Fallon St. Room G-1 Oakland, CA 94612
This guide was developed in an effort to provide answers to questions frequently asked to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters office concerning county, school districts, special districts and local judicial offices. It is for general information only and does not have the force and effect of law, regulation or rule. In case of conflict, the law, regulation or rule will apply. Persons using this guide must bear full responsibility to make their own determinations as to all legal standards and duties. For information on city officials, please contact your City Clerk .
A Public Guide to Recall For County, School District, Special District and Local Judicial Offices Table of Contents
I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................4 1. Use of This Guide ................................................................................................................4 2. What is Recall and What Circumstances Justify It? ..............................................................4 3. Who Can be Recalled? ........................................................................................................4 4. Circumstances Under Which a Recall is Prohibited ..............................................................5 5. Who Conducts the Recall Election? .....................................................................................5 6. Who can Initiate a Recall? ...................................................................................................5 7. Separate Nature of Each Recall ...........................................................................................5 8. Cost of Recall ......................................................................................................................5 II. STARTING THE RECALL ............................................................................................................6 1. Preparing the Notice of Intention .......................................................................................6 2. Serving the Notice of Intention on the Incumbent..............................................................6 3. Filing the Notice and Proof of Service .................................................................................6 4. Publishing the Notice ..........................................................................................................6 5. Incumbent’s Answer ...........................................................................................................7 6. Campaign Finance Reporting...............................................................................................7 III. BUILDING THE PETITION ........................................................................................................7 1. Overview ..........................................................................................................................7 2. Format of the Recall Petition ............................................................................................7 3. Filing of Blank Copies of Petition and Proof of Publication ................................................9 4. Review and Approval of Petition Format ..........................................................................9 IV. SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS AND CIRCULATION DEADLINES ...............................................9 1. When Circulation of the Recall Petition May Begin ...........................................................9 2. Number of Days to Circulate the Petition .......................................................................10 3. Number of Signatures Needed........................................................................................10 4. Withdrawal of Signatures from Petitions ........................................................................10 V. COLLECTING SIGNATURES ....................................................................................................11 1. Who Can Circulate a Recall Petition?.................................................................................11 2. Who Can Sign a Recall Petition? .......................................................................................11 3. Registering or Re-Registering Potential Signers ................................................................11 4. Circulator Must Complete and Sign Declaration of Circulator ...........................................12 5. Including a “Cushion” to Allow for Invalid Signatures......................................................12 6. Causes of Invalid Signatures ...........................................................................................12 7. Legibility of Signatures....................................................................................................12 8. Circulation of Recall Petitions on Private Property ..........................................................12 9. Penal Provisions .............................................................................................................13 VI. FILING THE RECALL PETITION ..............................................................................................14 VII. VERIFICATION OF PETITION SIGNATURES ..........................................................................14 VIII. CERTIFYING RESULTS OF SIGNATURE VERIFICATION .........................................................14 1. Insufficient Number of Valid Signatures ..........................................................................14 2. Sufficient Number of Valid Signatures ............................................................................15 3. Restrictions on Access to Recall Petitions .......................................................................15
IX. RESIGNATION OF OFFICEHOLDER ........................................................................................15 X. THE RECALL ELECTION ..........................................................................................................16 1. Calling the Election ...........................................................................................................16 2. Filing Requirements for Candidates ................................................................................16 3. Design on the Ballot .......................................................................................................17 4. Sample Ballot Pamphlet..................................................................................................17 5. Majority Vote Required to Recall the Incumbent ............................................................17 6. Plurality Vote to Elect a Successor ..................................................................................17 7. Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements and Limitations ..........................................18 XI. THE AFTERMATH .................................................................................................................18 1. Repeating a Recall if the Incumbent is not Recalled ........................................................18 2. Right of the Recalled Incumbent to Run in Future Elections ............................................18 APPENDICES Flow Chart: Qualifying a Recall for the Ballot Rules for Counting the Number of Words Sample Notice of Intention Form Sample Affidavit of Proof of Personal Service Sample Affidavit of Proof of Service by Certified Mail (1 of 2) Explanation of Recall Petition Format (2 of 2) Sample of Petition for Recall
1. Use of This Guide This guide is intended to provide basic, useful facts about the recall process for county, school district, special district, and trial court (Superior Court) elected offices. (§§11001, 11004) For the purposes of this manual, the term “Elections Official” will be referred to as the Registrar of Voters (ROV). For recall of : • City officeholders, contact the city’s Office of the City Clerk directly. • County officeholders, contact the ROV. • State officeholders, see the “Procedures for Recall of State and Local Officials” published by the Office of the Secretary of State. • Federal officeholders are NOT subject to recall. This guide should be used in conjunction with: • The attached flow chart (APPENDIX A) entitled, “Qualifying a Recall for the Ballot”. This will illustrate the process of the recall. • The “Procedure for Recalling State and Local Officials” (recent version), published by the Secretary of State. • The applicable sections of the California Elections Code, Government Code, United States Constitution, California Constitution, etc. Except as otherwise specified code sections referred to with the section number symbol (§) will be those of the Elections Code. Except as otherwise specified, references to the number of days means calendar days , as in “the incumbent’s answer to notice of intention to recall, is due within seven (calendar) days after the filing of the notice of intention by the proponents.” 2. What is Recall and What Circumstances Justify It? The California Constitution defines recall as “the power of the electors to remove an elective officer.” (Article II, Sec. 13) Neither the California Constitution nor the Elections Code says under what circumstances recall is justified. Instead, the Constitution says, in connection with recalls of state offices, “sufficiency of reason is not reviewable.” (art. II, Sec. 14) The only language in the Elections Code that has any bearing on this is in §11024. Referring to the proponents’ statement of reasons for the recall and the incumbent’s answer, it states that, “the statement and answer are intended solely for the information of the voters. No sufficiency in form or substance thereof shall affect the validity of the election proceedings.” 3. Who Can be Recalled? Any elective officer including any officer appointed in lieu of election or to fill vacancy. (§11006)
4. Circumstances Under Which a Recall is Prohibited A recall may NOT initiate if any of the following apply: (§11007) • The incumbent has not held office during his or her current term for more than 90 days. • A recall election has been decided in the incumbent’s favor within the last six months. • The incumbent’s term of office ends within six months or less. 5. Who Conducts the Recall Election? The county elections official (ROV). In the event, however, that the county elections official is the incumbent sought to be recalled, then the duties imposed upon him or her shall be performed by some other person designated by the Board of Supervisors. (§11201) 6. Who can Initiate a Recall? Any qualified elector may initiate a recall. A qualified elector is defined as being a registered voter of the jurisdiction and eligible to vote on the office of the incumbent sought to be recalled. (§11005, 322) 7. Separate Nature of Each Recall Each recall is a separate process and requires successful completion of the steps shown on the flow chart (Appendix A). If, for example, there are three separate incumbents to be recalled, there must be three of each of the following (See §§11021 and 11044): • Notice of Intention • Affidavit of Time and Manner of Service • Affidavit of Proof of Publication (or Posting, if applicable) of the Notice of Intention • Set of Two Blank Copies of the Proposed Petition Formats • Recall Petition Any error in following any of the steps in connection with a particular recall may require that some or all steps taken up to that point be done over. For this reason, it is recommended that recall proponents seek legal counsel to help avoid such errors. When multiple recalls are under way, petition circulators typically will be circulating multiple petitions, and requesting voters to sign each of however many petitions are involved. Not all voters will choose to sign each petition, with the result that when the petitions are filed with the ROV, the total number of signatures submitted for each recall petition may vary. 8. Cost of Recall The cost of a recall election is charged to the government agency whose officials are sought to be recalled. Contact the ROV for an estimate of cost. If the recall election can be consolidated with a regularly scheduled election or another special election, the cost may be considerably reduced.
II. STARTING THE RECALL
1. Preparing the Notice of Intention The initial step for the proponents interested in the recall of an elected officeholder is the preparing of the Notice of Intention. The Notice of Intention consists of the following: • The name and title of the officeholder sought to be recalled. • A statement of no more than 200 words expressing the reasons for the recall. (See Appendix B for rules on counting the number of words.) • The printed name, signature, and residence address of each of the proponents. Note: Proponents should provide a mailing or business address if different from the residence address. • The language contained in §11023 informing the incumbent of his or her right to file an answer. A sample Notice of Intention form can be found on Appendix C. The number of proponents required to sign the Notice of Intention is ten (10) or equal to the number of signatures required to be filed in the nomination petition for the office of the incumbent who is sought to be recalled, whichever is higher. (§11020) For example, in the case of a county elected office, the minimum number of signatures required on a nomination petition is 20, hence the minimum number of proponents required to sign the Notice of Intention is 20. (§8062(a)(3)) All proponents must be registered to vote in the jurisdiction and eligible to vote on the office of the incumbent sought to be recalled. (§11005) 2. Serving the Notice of Intention on the Incumbent A copy of the Notice of Intention must be served on the incumbent sought to be recalled by personal delivery or by certified mail (§11021). If serving by certified mail, recall proponents are advised to obtain from the ROV the incumbent’s most recent and correct mailing address. 3. Filing the Notice and Proof of Service The original Notice of Intention must be filed with the ROV within seven (7) days of the incumbent having been served, along with an affidavit of time and manner of service. (See Appendix D and E for examples of affidavits used for personal delivery and certified mail, respectively.) A separate Notice of Intention shall be filed for each incumbent sought to be recalled. The affidavit of Proof of Service by Certified Mail (Appendix E) attests to the date the Notice of Intention was mailed, the name of the incumbent sought to be recalled and his or her mailing address. 4. Publishing the Notice Proponents are also required to publish, at their expense, the Notice of Intention at least once in a newspaper of general circulation serving the jurisdiction of the incumbent sought to be recalled. (§11020; Government Code §6061, et. Seq.) However, Proof of Publication is required at the time blank copies of the petition are filed. Proponents must request and obtain from the newspaper a signed affidavit proving Proof of Publication, which will be filed with the ROV simultaneously when filing the two blank copies of the petition for review by the ROV. (§11042)
In the event that publication is not possible, the Notice of Intention shall be posted in at least three public places within the jurisdiction of the incumbent who’s sought to be recalled. (Posting is allowed only if there is no newspaper of general circulation able to provide timely publication.) If posting is used, an affidavit attesting to the postings will be required to be filled with the ROV. 5. Incumbent’s Answer The incumbent has the right to provide a response to the Statement of Reasons contained in the proponents’ Notice of Intention. Should he or she choose to do so, the response is limited to 200 words and must be filed with the ROV within seven (7) days after the filing of the Notice of Intention by the proponents. It must be signed, and shall be accompanied by the incumbent’s printed name and business or residence address. Within that same seven (7) day period, the incumbent shall also serve a copy of his or her response on one of the proponents’ named in the Notice of Intention. Service is to be by personal delivery or certified mail. (§11023) (There is no requirement that the incumbent file any proof of service with the ROV.)
NOTE to proponents: In the event the incumbent’s answer is apparently not received by any proponent, contact the ROV. It is the proponents’ responsibility to verify with the Office whether or not an answer has been filed, prior to proceeding to the next step in the recall process.
6. Campaign Finance Reporting Both recall proponents who organize to qualify a recall for the ballot, and those who organize to oppose such a recall effort will have campaign disclosure and filing obligations under state law. See Section X, Part 8 for additional information.
III. BUILDING THE PETITION
1. Overview The language and design of the recall petition are strictly controlled by the Elections Code. (§§100, 100.5, 11040, 11041, 11043, 11043.5 and 11046) See Appendix F for a sample of the recall petition form. A similar version is also provided in “Procedures for Recalling State and Local Officials” published by the Secretary of State. IMPORTANT: Before proceeding with circulation of any recall petition, proponents are required to file two blank copies of the petition format with the ROV for its review and approval as to whether the petition conforms to the requirements of the Elections Code. (§11042) 2. Format of the Recall Petition The recall petition format provided by the Secretary of State or ROV is mandatory and must be used. (§§11041, 11043.5) The recall petition may consist of any number of separate sections, which must be duplicates except as to signatures and matters required to be affixed by signers and circulators. The number of signatures attached to each section is left up to the discretion of the person soliciting the signatures. Each section may consist of any number of separate pages. A page is defined as each side of a sheet of paper on which any signatures appear. (§11040)
1. Heading: A margin at least once inch wide shall be left across the top of each page and a margin at least one-half inch wide shall be left blank along the bottom of each page. (§§100, 11043) All petition sections must be printed in uniform size and darkness with uniform spacing. (§11041) See Appendix F (1 of 2). On each page, in no less than 8-point type, there must appear: • Language requesting that an election be called to elect a successor. • Copy of the Notice of Intention, including the statement of reasons for the recall.
NOTE to proponents: The Notice of Intention to appear on the petition must be identical to that which was published, with the exception of the language related to the incumbent’s right to file an answer. (§11021)
The names of at least ten (10) of the proponents listed on the Notice of Intention (signatures and addresses do not need to be included.) • The incumbent’s answer, if any. If no answer was filed, the petition must so state. 2. Signature Space: Immediately above the signature space(s) shall be the following statement: “Each of the undersigned states for himself/herself that he or she is registered and qualified elector of the (Name of the electoral jurisdiction) of (name of geographical location), California.”
NOTE to proponents: When a petition is circulated in more than one county, each section of the petition shall bear the name of the county in which it is circulated, and only registered voters of the given county may sign that section. (§11047)
The petition must be designed so that each signer can personally affix his or her: • Printed Name; • Signature; • Residence address, giving street and number, or if no street or number exists, adequate designation of residence so that the location may be readily ascertained; and • Name of the incorporated city or unincorporated community in which he or she resides. (§11043)
Pursuant to the California Supreme Court’s decision in Assembly vs. Deukmejian (1982) 30 Cal.3d 638, 180 Cal. Rptr. 297, the petition form must direct signers to include their “residence address” rather than “address as registered” or other address. Noncomplying petition forms will be rejected as invalid.
Signature spaces must be consecutively numbered commencing with the number one for each petition section. A Space at least one inch wide must be left blank at the right margin of the page after each name and address for the use of the ROV in verifying the petition.
3. Declaration of Circulator: Each section of the petition must have attached to it a declaration signed by the circulator (person soliciting signatures) of that section of the petition, setting forth in the circulator’s own hand, all of the following: • Printed name of the circulator; • Residence address of the circulator, giving street and number, or if no street exists, adequate designation of residence so that the location may be readily ascertained; and • Dates between which all signatures to the petition were obtained. The declaration must also include: • That the circulator circulated that section and witnessed the appended signatures being that according to the best information and belief of the circulator, each signature is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be; • That the circulator certifies to the content of the declaration as to its truth and correctness, under penalty of perjury. The circulator shall state the date and the place of execution on the declaration along with his or her signature. (§§104, 11046) 3. Filing of Blank Copies of Petition and Proof of Publication Two blank copies of the recall petition must be filed with the ROV within ten (10) days after the filing of the incumbent’s answer, if any. If no answer was filed, the copies are due within ten (10 days) after the deadline for the incumbent to file an answer. (§11042) The affidavit attesting to the proof of publication (or posting, as applicable) of the Notice of Intention is due at this same time (§11042) 4. Review and Approval of Petition Format The office of the ROV shall review the petition format within ten (10) days and notify the proponents in writing that the petition is either approved for circulation or requires modification. (§11042) If changes are necessary proponents have ten (10) days to file two blank copies of the corrected petition with the ROV. This process shall be repeated until no further alterations are necessary. (§11042)
IV. SIGNATURE REQUIREMENTS AND CIRCULATION DEADLINES
1. When Circulation of the Recall Petition May Begin Proponents may not begin collecting signatures until the form and wording of the recall petition has been approved by the ROV as meeting the requirements of the Elections Code. (§11042(d)) The time period available for circulating the petition begins when the ROV notifies the proponents that the petition meets the form and wording requirements. (§11220(a))
2. Number of Days to Circulate the Petition The circulation period of a recall petition is based on a sliding scale using the number of registered voters in the electoral jurisdiction eligible to vote on the office of the incumbent sought to be recalled , as follows (§11220): Registration No. of Days to Circulate Under 1,000 1,000-4,999 5,000-9,999 10,000-49,999 50,000 and above 40 60 90 120 160
3. Number of Signatures Needed The number of valid signatures required on a recall petition to qualify and trigger a recall election is also based on a sliding scale using the number of registered voters in the electoral jurisdiction eligible to vote on the office of the incumbent subject to recall, as follows (§11221(a)): Registration Signature Needed (as % of Total Registered Voters) Under 1,000 1,000-4,999 5,000-9,999 10,000-49,999 50,000 and above 30% 25% 20% 15% 10%
Prior to approval of circulation of the petition, the number of registered voters shall be determined using the last official report of registration obtained by the Secretary of State provided from the ROV. (§11221(b)) An exception: to the above occurs in the case of superior court judges, where the signature requirement is 20% of the total number of votes cast for all candidates in the last election for that office (Cal. Const. Art. II, Sec. 14(b)) Often, however, judges have not been required to appear on the ballot for several terms because they drew no opposition when up for election. (§8203) The number of signatures needed is then calculated as 20% of the total number of votes cast within that judicial jurisdiction (countywide for Superior Court, for example) for all candidates in the countywide office with the least number of votes in the most recent general election. (§11221) “Countywide Office” is defined as “an elective office wholly within the county, which is voted on throughout the count.” 4. Withdrawal of Signatures from Petitions Any voter who has signed a recall petition who wishes to have his or her signature withdrawn from the petition may file a written request with the ROV, no later than the day before the petition is filed. (§§103 and 11303) The written request must identify the subject recall petition; and clearly indicated the requestor indeed signed such petition; and contain the person’s name, residence address and signature.
NOTE: The ROV will have no way of knowing for sure when the proponents will choose to file the recall petitions. Consequently, it will not be able to advise persons who wish to withdraw their signatures as to any “deadline” for filing their requests; other than the fact that the request must be received no later than the day before the petition is filed.
V. COLLECTING SIGNATURES
1. Who Can Circulate a Recall Petition? Circulation of this petition is limited to registered voters in the jurisdiction of the officer sought to be recalled whom are qualified to vote for the recalled position. 2. Who Can Sign a Recall Petition? Only registered voters who, at the time of signing the recall petition, are qualified to vote on the office held by the incumbent sought to be recalled. (§§322, 11045) Each signer must personally sign and print his or her name and residence address with street and number (or, if no street and number exists, an explanation of how to locate the place of residence). (§§100, 322, 11045) A voter who is physically unable to sign a petition may request someone else to print the voter’s name and residence address on the petition. The voter then must affix his or her mark in the appropriate space on the petition, and have two persons witness the mark by signing their names on the same line next to the mark. (§100.5, Gov. Code 16) According to the secretary of State’s Legal counsel, witnesses do not have to be registered, and the circulator may serve as a witness. If a recall petition is circulated in more than one county, a separate section should be used for each county. Each section of the petition must include the name of the county in which it is circulated, and only registered voters of that county may sign that section of the petition. (§11047 and Section III, Part 2.b of these guidelines.) 3. Registering or Re-Registering Potential Signers For potential signers who are eligible but not currently registered to vote, or those who are registered but have since moved, a newly completed voter registration card will ensure his or her signature on a recall petition can be counted as valid. For this to work, the new registration card must be signed on or before the date the voter signs the petition and the registration card itself must be received by the ROV on or before the date the petition is filed. (§2102(b))
Note to proponents: It will assist the ROV in verifying signatures on the petition if the circulator notes in the left hand margin of the petition, adjacent the signature, the newly completed registration card’s affidavit number and notifies the ROV at the time of delivery that these registration cards are related to the specific petition. Proponents should also be aware that completed registration cards must be delivered to the ROV within (three) 3 days of receipt from the voter by law. (§2138)
4. Circulator Must Complete and Sign Declaration of Circulator Each section of the petition must have attached to it a declaration signed by the circulator (person soliciting signatures) of that section of the petition, setting forth in the circulator’s own handwriting, all of the following (§§104, 11046) • Printed name of the circulator • Residence address of the circulator, giving street and number, or if no street exists, adequate designation of residence so that the location may be readily determined. • Dates between which all signatures to the petition were obtained. 5. Including a “Cushion” to Allow for Invalid Signatures Proponents need to allow for invalid signatures by including extra signatures above and beyond the minimum needed to qualify the petition. 6. Causes of Invalid Signatures Signatures which are verified may be found to be invalid for some of the following reasons: • Signer is not eligible to vote on the office held by the incumbent sought to be recalled. • Signer has moved since last registering to vote and failed to re-register. • Signer writes in a P. O. Box or business address as his or her address or residence. • Signer signs the petition more than once. Only the first signature encountered during verification will count; moreover, any duplicate signatures found in the “random sample” are penalized under the sufficiency formula (see Section VII). • Residence address appearing on the petition was “pre-printed” and not written in personally by the signer. • Signer’s signature does not appear to match that on the voter registration card on file with the ROV.
Certain defects in the declaration of the circulator, such as failure to sign the declaration (§§104, 11046), may invalidate all signatures appearing on that section. Recall proponents should advise their circulators of the importance of fully and accurately completing the declaration. Circulators should be advised that under no circumstances should they make any changes or “corrections” in the signatures or addresses that the voters have written on the petition.
In verifying petitions, the ROV may use the most current version of the Secretary of State’s “Official Petition Verification Guidelines.”
7. Legibility of Signatures To ensure that signatures are readable, use a firm writing surface beneath the petition page being signed and a ballpoint pen, not felt tip markers. If circulating recall petitions against multiple officeholders, it is suggested printing the recall petitions on lightly-tinted colored paper with a different color for each office. 8. Circulation of Recall Petitions on Private Property Petition circulators often seek to circulate petitions at shopping centers and other private property. With shopping centers being private property, the courts have balanced the private property rights of the shopping center owners against the free speech and petition rights of the petition circulators. Both supporters and opponents of a recall are advised to contact the property manager or owner in advance of circulating petitions and to seek legal counsel when issues arise as to their speech and petitioning rights at shopping centers or private property.
9. Penal Provisions The following are selected penal provisions relating to circulation of recall petitions. (See §18600 et seq. for all the relevant code sections.) a) Provisions Relating to Circulators It is a misdemeanor for anyone circulating a recall petition to intentionally misrepresent or intentionally make a false statement concerning the contents, purport , or effect of any petition to any person who signs, desires to sign, is requested to sign, or who makes inquiries with reference to it, or to whom it is presented for his or her signature. It is also a misdemeanor to willfully and knowingly circulate, publish, or exhibit any false statement or misrepresentation concerning the contents, purport, or effect of any petition for the purpose of obtaining any signature to, or persuading or influencing any person to sign, that petition. (§18600) Any person working for the proponents or a recall petition who refuse to allow a prospective signer to read the petition is guilty of a misdemeanor. (§18601) Every person who offers or gives money or other valuable consideration to another in exchange for his or her signature on a recall petition is guilty of a misdemeanor. (§18603) No one shall knowingly or willfully permit the list of signatures on a recall petition to be used for any purpose other than qualification of the recall question for the ballot. Violation is a misdemeanor. (§18650) b) Provisions Relating to Fraudulent Signatures Every person who solicits any circulator to affix to a recall petition any false or forged signature, or to cause, or permit a false or forged signature to be affixed, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (§18610)
Anyone who circulates or causes to be circulated a recall petition knowing it to contain false, forged, or fictitious names is punishable by a fine not exceeding $5,000 or by imprisonment in state prison for 16 months or two or three years or in county jail not exceeding one year, or by both fine and imprisonment. (§18611) Every person who knowingly signs his or her name more than once to a recall petition or signs his or her name to that petition knowing himself or herself at the time of signing not to be qualified to sign it is guilty of a misdemeanor. (§18612) Every person who subscribes to any recall petition fictitious name, or who subscribes thereto the name of another, who causes another to subscribe such a name to that petition, is guilty of a felony and is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years. (§18613)
Every person who files in the office of the ROV any recall petition to which is attached any signature which the person filing the petition knows to be false or fraudulent or not the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be is punishable by a fine not exceeding $5,000 or by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months or two or three years or in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment. (§18614) c) Threats to Prevent Petition Circulation or Filing Every person who threatens to commit an assault or battery on a person circulating a recall petition or on a relative of such a person or to inflict damage on the property of the circulator or relative, with the intent to dissuade the circulator from circulating the petition or in retribution for the circulation, is guilty of a misdemeanor. (§18630)
VI. FILING THE RECALL PETITION
All sections of the recall petition circulated within a particular county must be filed at the same time with that county’s Elections Official. No additional signatures may be filed or accepted after that time. The petition sections must be filed by the proponents or by any person or persons authorized in writing by a proponent. A copy of the written authorization must be included with the filing. (§11222(a)) If the ROV determines that the number of signatures, on its face, appear to be equal to or greater than the minimum required, the petition will be accepted for filing. If the number is less than the minimum required, the petition will NOT be accepted for filing and will be returned to the proponents. (§11222(b)) If the petition was circulated in more than one county, the elections official of each county shall affix, with the certificate showing the results of his or her examination, the number of registered voters of the county residing within the electoral jurisdiction of the officer sought to be recalled. (§11223)
VII. VERIFICATION OF PETITION SIGNATURES
The ROV has 30 days from the date of the filing of the petition in which to examine it and determine the total number of valid signatures. (§§11224 and 11225) The examination involves verifying the validity of all the signatures on the petition (§11224) or verifying random sample of 500 or 5%, whichever is greater, and determining the sufficiency of the petition through the statistical method provided by §11225. If the number of signatures, as determined by the random sample, is equivalent to 90-110% of the number needed to qualify the recall for the ballot, the election official is required to conduct a 100% signature examination of the petition. (If the random sample shows that the number is less than 90%, the petition will be certified as insufficient. If it is over 110%, it will be certified as sufficient.) (§11225)
VIII. CERTIFYING RESULTS OF SIGNATURE VERIFICATION
1. Insufficient Number of Valid Signatures If the petition is found to contain an insufficient number of valid signatures to qualify the recall for the ballot, no further action is taken and the petition remains on file. (§11226) No sufficiency in a petition against any officer shall bar the later filing of a new petition against that officer. (§11300)
2. Sufficient Number of Valid Signatures If the petition is found to have sufficient valid signatures to qualify the recall for the ballot, the ROV will immediately certify the results of the signature examination to the governing body for consideration at its next regular meeting. (§§11224, 11225, and 11227) The certificate shall contain: • Name of officer sought to be recalled; • Title of his or her office; • Number of signatures required by law; • Total number of signatures on the petition; • Number of valid signatures on the petition; and • Number of signatures that were disqualified. 3. Restrictions on Access to Recall Petitions Voters may have concerns about possible harassment if they sign initiative, referendum, or recall petitions. Government Code Sec. 6253.5 provides that such any memoranda prepared by the ROV in examining petitions are not deemed to be public records and are not open to inspection. There are two exceptions: • Employees of the ROV are responsible for verifying the signatures; and • Recall proponents, should the petition be deemed insufficient and fail to qualify for the ballot. In that event, proponents have the right to examine those signatures found to be invalid and the reasons therefore. “Proponents” are those individuals listed on the Notice of Intention (or a person authorized in writing by the proponent.) Any such examination shall begin within 21 days following certification of insufficiency. (§11301)
IX. RESIGNATION OF OFFICEHOLDER
If the incumbent whose sought to be recalled resigns (or a vacancy occurs for any other reason) at any time following the filing of the recall petition, the recall process will nevertheless proceed. Anyone appointed to fill the vacancy serves only until a successor is selected and qualifies for the office. (§11302)
X. THE RECALL ELECTION
1. Calling the Election Within 14 days after the meeting at which the governing body considers the certificate of sufficiency received from the ROV, the governing body is to issue an order calling the election. (§11240) If the governing body fails to act within those 14 days, the ROV shall call for the election within five (5) days. A recall election shall be conducted, canvassed, and the results declared in substantially the manner provided by law for a regular election for the office. (§11328) One election is sufficient for the recall of several officers. (§11329) If the recall is to be voted on by voters in more than one county, the elections official of the county with the largest number of registered voters who will be voting in the election shall set the date in consolation with the elections officials of the other counties. (§11241) In any case, the election must be held between 88 and 125 days from the date of the order. (§11242) Also, no election shall be held on any day other than Tuesday or the day before, the day of, or the day after a state holiday. (§1100)
NOTE: If a regular or special election is to be held throughout the electoral jurisdiction of the incumbent sought to be recalled within this time period, the recall election shall be held on the same day. (§11242)
2. Filing Requirements for Candidates Once the recall election is called, there will be a nomination period for candidates to file for election to the office. EXCEPTION: Although it is clear that the superior court judges – are subject to recall, Article VI, Section 16 of the California Constitution creates some legal uncertainty as to whether the successor to a recalled judge is elected by the voters or appointed by the Governor. If it is the latter, obviously the need for a contest involving successor candidates is eliminated. This question was first raised in 1997 in Nevada County (see County Counsel of Nevada County opinion, Appendix G) but never resolved since the recall petition never qualified for the ballot. It is therefore, suggested that election officials seek their own legal counsel to clarify this issue should it arise. The nomination period must not open before the day the order of election is issued and must close not later than the 75th day before the election. If the ROV is required to certify to the governing board names of candidates to be placed on the ballot that shall be done by the 71st day prior to the election. (§11381(b)) The incumbent may not be a candidate to succeed himself or herself or any other member of the same governing board that is also the subject of recall (§11381(c)) but he or she may submit a statement for publication in the sample ballot booklet. (§§11327, 13307)
NOTE: The nomination period for recall elections may very likely be truncated. For example, the election could be called to be held in the minimum 88 days. Since the nomination period under any circumstances must close on the 75th day (§11381b), the nomination period will consist of just 14 days.
Nomination petitions may or may not be required of candidates, depending on the office held by the incumbent. The number of nomination signatures, if any, will be the same as required of candidates seeking that particular office in a regular election. (§11381) Check with the ROV regarding this requirement. There are no filing fees for school or special district offices. Filing fees for County offices are based on 1% of the official’s annual salary. (§8104(b))
a. Petitions In-Lieu of Filing Fee If there is a filing fee, petitions in-lieu of payment of that fee must be made available to candidates, who may circulate these petitions and gather signatures for credit against the fee. b. Candidate Qualification In addition to filing nomination documents (declaration of candidacy and nomination petition), each candidate may have to provide documentation of his or her qualifications. (§13.5) c. Candidate Statements Candidates’ statements for publication in the sample ballot pamphlet are optional. The cost of statements in a recall election will be determined by the ROV once the election has been called. For candidates, the statement is due at the time his or her nomination papers are filed. (§13307(a) (2)) The incumbent sought to be recalled may also submit a statement for inclusion in the sample ballot pamphlet. (§11327) Statement must be filed no later than 5p.m. on the last day of candidate filing. All candidate and incumbent statements shall remain confidential until the close of the filing period at 5p.m. on the last day of candidate filing. On the following business day the statement may still be withdrawn. By the next business day the statement will be available to the public. 3. Design on the Ballot The question on the ballot will be: “Shall (name of the incumbent sought to be recalled) be recalled (removed) from the office of (title of office)?”, with the voter marking either “Yes” or “No”. (§11320) Below that will appear the names of the candidates who have filed to seek election to the office in the even the recall is successful. Appropriately identified write-in space must also be provided. (§11322) If there are multiple recalls that have qualified for the ballot, following the list of candidates to succeed to one office would be the recall question for the next office, and so on. Candidates will be listed in randomized alphabet order based upon a drawing of letters by the Secretary of State. In the case of candidates for countywide office, they will be listed in randomized alphabet order and then rotated in conformance with §§13111(g) and 13112. 4. Sample Ballot Pamphlet The sample ballot shall include both the statement of reasons for the recall (from the Notice of Intention) and the incumbent’s answer, if one was filed. The statement and answer shall be printed on the same page or on facing pages and shall be of equal prominence. (§11325) If the recall of more than one incumbent is sought, the statement and answer for each shall be printed together and clearly distinguished from those of any other. (§11325) 5. Majority Vote Required to Recall the Incumbent If the majority vote on the question is to recall, the incumbent shall be removed from office upon the certification of election results and swearing-in of his or her successor. (§11384) 6. Plurality Vote to Elect a Successor If the incumbent is recalled, the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes shall be elected to the incumbent’s unexpired term. There is no runoff election (§11386) If the candidate with the highest number of votes fail to qualify within ten (10) days after receiving his or her certificate of election, the office to which he or she was elected shall be vacant, and shall be filed according to law (§11386)
7. Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements and Limitations Both the recall proponents who organize to qualify a recall for the ballot and those who oppose a recall effort; as well as candidates; will have to meet filing obligations and campaign disclosure requirements required by the state Political Reform Act, as well as any additional limitations or requirements established by local ordinance, if any. It is imperative for all parties involved with a recall to check with the ROV on any and all applicable state and local laws in this regard. Additional information about specific disclosure requirements is available by contacting the state Fair Political Practices Commission, which enforces the Political Reform Act, at (916) 322-5660. The address is 428 “J” Street, Room 450, Sacramento 95814 or visit their website at: www.fppc.ca.gov.
1. Repeating a Recall if the Incumbent is not Recalled
If the recall election is conducted and the incumbent is not recalled, a new recall may not be commenced against the official within six (6) months of that election nor during the last six (6) months of the official’s term of office. (§11007) A successful recall election applies only to the current office. There is nothing in the law to prevent a public official recalled in one election from running for the same or any other office in an election for a subsequent term of office.
2. Right of the Recalled Incumbent to Run in Future Elections
APPENDIX B Word Counting Guidelines (§1.9, General Provisions)
The following guidelines are used by the Registrar of Voters for counting words on candidate statements, ballot measure text, arguments, rebuttals and other ballot enclosures. The guidelines do not apply to ballot designations for candidates. If the text exceeds the specified 200 or 400 word limit, the author will be asked to delete words or change text until the statement conforms with requirements. 1. Punctuation marks are not counted. Symbols such as “&” (and), and “#” (number/pound) are not considered punctuation and each symbol is counted as one (1) word. 2. The words “I”, “a”, “the”, “and”, “an” are counted as individual words. 3. GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES such as countries, state, counties, cities, towns, or jurisdictions are counted as one (1) word. Such as: “City of San Leandro” = 1 word “City and County of San Francisco” =1 word 4. ABBREVIATIONS each acronym or abbreviation for a word, phrase, or expression is counted as one (1) word. Such as: CSUEB, PTA, USMC, OPD, U.S.M.C. 5. HYPHENATED WORDS that appear in any generally available standard reference dictionary published in the U.S. at any time within the last 10 calendar years immediately preceding election are counted as one (1) word. Such as: Attorney-at-law 6. Dates…consisting of a combination of digits are counted as one (1) word. Such as: 3/19 11/04/08 Dates…consisting of a combination of words and digits are counted as two (2) words. Such as: February 2, 1983 20 November, 1989 7. Numeric Combinations are counted as one (1) word. Such as: 1980 12 ½ 1980-82 10% 8/11/81 #40 8. Monetary Amounts Such as: Such as: $ 10,000.00 are counted as one (1) word $10 million are counted as two (2) words
9. Names of persons and things are counted as individual words. Such as: John Smith (2 words) S. L. Baseball Team (3 words) 10. Telephone/Fax Numbers are counted as one (1) word. Such as: 1-800-123-4567 1-510-272-6933 11. Internet Web Sites/E-mail addresses are counted as one (1) word. www.sos.ca.gov Such as: http://www.acgov.org/rov
Notice of Intention to Circulate Recall Petition (§11020) To: _________________________________________ : (Name of the officer sought to be recalled) Pursuant to Elections Code Section §11020, the undersigned registered voters of __________________________________, County of ____________________________, (Name of the District) (Name of County) State of California, hereby give notice that we are the proponents of a recall petition and that we intend to seek recall and removal from the office of ____________________________, in the _____________________________, County of (Title of Office) (Name of District) ____________________________, State of California, and demand an election of a (Name of County) successor for that office. The grounds for the proposed recall are as follows: (Statement not exceeding 200 words) The printed names, signatures, and business or residence addresses of the proponents are as follows: Name Address Signature
____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ 10. ____________________________________________________________________ This notice and the proof of service will be filed with the _________________________ (Name of County) Elections Office. You may file an answer to the statement of the proponents with the ____________________________ within 7 days after the notice is filed. It may not be (Name of County) more than 200 words. In an answer is filed, a copy of it must also be served personally or by certified mail within that same 7 day period on one of the above proponents. The answer shall have the printed name, signature, business or residence address of the officer sought to be recalled.
Proof of Personal Service (§11020) I, _______________________________________ declare that: (Print full Name) At the time of service I was at least 18 years of age. My name, address and telephone number are as follows: ________________________________________________________________________ (Print full Name) ________________________________________________________________________ (Complete Address) (___)____________________________________________________________________ (Telephone Number) I personally served to ______________________________________________________ (Print full Name of Officer Sought to be Recalled) a copy of the Notice of Intention to Recall him/her by delivering the copy of the copy of the Notice of Intention to him/her at: _________________________________________ (Complete Address) ________________________________________________________________________ on ______________________________ at _____________________________a.m./p.m. (Date) (Time) (Circle One) I have attached the original of the Notice of Intention to Recall to this Proof of Personal Service. I, ______________________________________, declare under penalty of perjury under (Print full Name) laws of the State of California that the forgoing is true and correct, and that I executed this proof of personal service on ___________________ at _______________________
_____________________________________________ (Complete Signature) 22
Proof of Service by Certified Mail (§1100) I, _______________________________________ declare that: (Print full Name) At the time of service, I was at least 18 years of age and I, _________________________ (Reside/Am Employed) in _______________________________________ at ____________________________ (Name of County) (Complete Address) _______________________________________________________________________ On ______________________________ I deposited in the mail at (Date) _________________________________________________________ a copy of the (Place, e.g., Name of City or County) Notice of Intention to Recall ________________________________________________ (Print Full Name of Officer Sought to be recalled) in a sealed envelope, with fully prepaid postage thereon for certified mail, addressed to: _____________________________________________________________________ at: (Print Full Name of Officer Sought to be recalled) _______________________________________________________________________. (Mailing Address) I have attached the original Notice of Intention to Recall to this Proof of Service. I, _____________________________________________ declare under penalty of (Print full Name) perjury under laws of the State of California that the forgoing is true and correct, and that I executed this Proof of Service on ______________at ________________________ (Date) (Place, e.g., Name of City or County)
_____________________________________________ (Complete Signature) 23
APPENDIX F (1 of 2)
The sample on the following page will help you design your petition in accordance with laws and guidelines mandated by the Secretary of State. When using this format, fill in the blanks and required information, and remove the information in parentheses that has been included as a reference tool only. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS: • • Petition must be printed in at least 8 point type. The circulator’s declaration must follow the last signature box. If signature spaces are printed on both sides of a sheet of paper, everything except the declaration of circulator must appear on each side of the paper. It is suggested that petitions be printed on 8½ “x 14” paper in order to maximize the number of signatures spaces printed on a sheet of paper. All petition sections must be printed in uniform size and darkness with uniform spacing. Each page of the petition must have at least a 1” margin across the top and a 1/2” margin across the bottom.
SPECIFIC EXPLANATIONS OF NUMBERS ON THE SAMPLE: 1. Insert name of appropriate governing body. The local authority, which orders or “calls” elections for that office, or the governing authority for that jurisdiction should be named. 2. Insert electoral jurisdiction here; county, city, or district, as appropriate. 3. Insert geographical location here; city, county, etc. as appropriate. 4. Insert here the name of person whose recall is being sought. 5. Insert name of office. 6. Same as #3 above. 7. Insert date served. 8. Same as #4 above. 9. Remove box and insert appropriate information. 10. Same as #2 above. 11. Same as #3 above. 12. Example illustrates space for three signatures. You can include as many spaces as will fit. Declaration or circulator may be placed on the back side of the page. 13. A space at least one inch wide shall be left blank after each name for use for use of the elections official. 14. Circulator inserts his/her full name as the person who gathered the signatures. 15. Same as #2 above.
APPENDIX F (2 of 2)
Petition must be in 8-point type. The request for the election, the Notice of Intention and the Answer must be printed on each side of the sheet of paper on which the signatures appear. All sections must be in uniform size and spacing. Margin must be 1” from top margin.
~SAMPLE~ PETITION FOR RECALL TO THE HONORABLE (Name of the Governing Body that calls the Election). Pursuant to the California Constitution and the California Election laws, we the undersigned registered and qualified electors of the (electoral jurisdiction) of (name of city or county), California, respectfully state that we seek the recall and removal of (name of person sought to be recalled) holding the office of (name of office), in the (electoral jurisdiction), California. We demand an election of a successor to that office. The following Notice of Intention to Circulate Recall Petition was served on (date petition was served) to (name of person sought to be recalled). NOTICE OF INTENTION TO CIRCULATE RECALL PETITION TO THE HONORABLE (Name of the Public Official Sought to be Recalled), Pursuant to Section 11020 of the California Elections Code, the undersigned, registered qualified voters of the (name of district), County of (name of county), State of California, hereby give notice that we are the proponents of a recall petition and that we intend to seek your recall and removal from the office of (title of office), in the (name of district), County of (name of county), State of California, and to demand an election of a successor for that office. The grounds for the proposed recall are as follows: (Insert grounds for the recall- see “Important Notes”) The printed names of the proponents are as follows: (print names-see “Important Notes”)
IMPORTANT NOTES: When printing the Notice of Intention (200 words or less) on the petition, it must appear exactly as written on the original Notice, including punctuation, spelling, etc. and it must contain the names of at least 10 recall proponents. It may differ from the original Notice in the following ways: 1. Less than 10 names is sufficient, even if a larger number was required on the original notice. 2. Paragraph to incumbents answer may be excluded.
The answer of the officer sought to be recalled is as follows: (Insert answer here. Following all text, print name, address and contact information provided by the incumbent.) Insert answer ~ 200 words. If no answer, insert “No Answer was Filed.” §110410 (a) (3) Each of the undersigned states for himself/herself that he or she is a registered and qualified elector of (electoral jurisdiction) of (name of city or county), California. FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CITY ZIP
1” column § 11043(c)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CITY ZIP PRINT NAME SIGNATURE RESIDENCE ADDRESS ONLY ZIP
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CITY
DECLARATION OF PERSON CIRCULATING SECTION OF RECALL PETITION (MUST BE IN CIRCULATOR’S OWN HANDWRITTING) I, _______________________________ declare: 1. 2. 3. 4. My residence address is ___________________________________ in ___________________ County, California, and I am a registered voter in (electoral jurisdiction); I personally circulated the attached petition for signing. I witnessed each of the appended signatures being written on the petition and to my best information and belief, each signature is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be; and The appended signatures were obtained between the dates of __________________ and __________________, inclusive.
(starting date) (ending date) (print name)
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on _________________________________ at ____________________________________, California.
Petition must be ½ inch margin from bottom. §11043 (b) Petitions may be printed on legal-sized paper.
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