California Governor Recall Campaign Gets All Signatures: Newsom Launches Counterattack

On Wednesday, March 17, a laborious, months-long check will begin to confirm what seems inevitable: California Governor Gavin Newsom will have to survive the vote to remove him from office. USA Today.

Photo: Shutterstock

The announcement that Newsom had begun raising money to defend his post seemed to confirm that the organizers of the recall had collected enough petition signatures to put the proposal on the ballot.

However, a number of bureaucratic checkpoints will have to go through before the Office of the Secretary of State determines that the requirements for re-election have been met. The agency is headed by Shirley Weber, a former Democratic MP for Newsom who was appointed in December.

Let us remind you that supporters must put about 1,5 million signatures in order to place the proposal in front of voters. The organizers say they have collected over 2 million signatures since early June. Fees skyrocketed in the fall and winter as anger increased over how Newsom is handling the coronavirus pandemic.

Newsom and his Democratic allies called the withdrawal attempt a political seizure of power. On Monday, March 15, he tweeted that he would not be distracted by a "politically motivated" recall attempt, "but I will fight it." He called for people to join their campaign to stop the recall.

Photo: twitter.com/GavinNewsom

Newsom can find ways to delay voting

On Wednesday, March 17, the submission of signatures to the organizers of the district election commissions, which must verify the authenticity and notify the Secretary of State of the results, by April 29, stopped.

But given the legal hurdles to be removed, it could be until September before a voting date is set, which strategists on both sides expect to see later this fall, possibly November.

Organizers of the withdrawal believe Newsom and leaders of the Democratic-run legislature will do their best to postpone the election, hoping that the situation will change as the number of cases of the virus decreases, the number of vaccinations increases, and schools and businesses reopen.

“They can’t win at the ballot box. The only way they can win is to delay the process,” said senior recall adviser Randy Economy, who is confident recall supporters will exceed the required signature threshold.

On the subject: From the beloved of millions to the hated governor: Newsom's recall as head of California is gaining momentum

The fate of a potential recall vote will be decided behind closed doors, as election officials across the state spend months assessing the validity of petition signatures.

When questions arise about a signature, the benefit of the doubt goes to the voter. Political affiliation and race are not taken into account. An exact match is not required—“similar characteristics” in writing is sufficient when comparing the petition signature to signatures on election records.

Only a signature “having many significant and obvious differences” from those in the record is subject to further verification in accordance with the rules. Even so, the two officials would have to agree, beyond reasonable doubt, that the signature is significantly different in order to disqualify the vote.

At the moment, more than 80% of the signed signatures have been confirmed.

But it's not just about petitioning.

Withdrawal efforts go beyond petitions

A proposal to remove a governor must go through lengthy stages, including giving voters a 30-day window to withdraw their names if they so choose. It is possible that Democrats could launch a major campaign to get them to do just that.

The timeline has yet to be set, but the state's Treasury Department is expected to take 30 days to prepare a cost estimate for the election. Democrats say it could surpass $ 80 million. Then the legislative commission will receive another month to consider these findings.

Only after these steps are completed can the state officially confirm that enough valid signatures have been collected. If this happens, Lieutenant Eleni Kounalakis will have to call the elections 60-80 days after this moment, although the date may be later.

Newsom's popularity has plummeted in recent months as civil unrest spread with prolonged school and business closures, the still unfolding unemployment benefits scandal, and his decision to party with friends and lobbyists at a luxury restaurant while telling residents they should stay. houses.

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Outrage over school and business closings

In a shopping center parking lot in the Sacramento suburb of Rocklin, Shannon Hile and Celeste Montgomery were collecting signatures on a weekday, working in a small white folding tent with bright yellow and red signs saying, "Call Gavin Newsom."

Around lunchtime, more than a dozen people approached or drove up to sign. Two women and another volunteer gave detailed instructions to signatories, reminding them to use the address they registered at to vote and be careful when writing so that the signature is not disqualified.

None of the women voted for Newsom in 2018, when the former mayor of San Francisco was elected governor. They are outraged by the closure of schools.

Hyle moved from San Diego to the Sacramento area to be closer to her family after trying to simultaneously care for her one-year-old while helping her seven-year-old navigate virtual learning at home. Montgomery, 31, also a mother of two, sent her 5-year-old son to a private school to take full-time classes, which severely limited the family budget.

“Newsom didn’t give anyone a chance to cope,” Heil said. “He cut us off from everything.”

Two Republicans have announced their candidacies: Kevin Faulconer, the former mayor of San Diego, and businessman John Cox, who was defeated by Newsom in 2018. Another name being discussed in GOP circles is President Donald Trump's former acting director of national intelligence, Richard Grenell.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Newsom approved financial assistance to Californians, including illegal immigrants: who, how much and when will receive

Newsom's recall from the post of the head of California looks more and more real: there are already more than 1,7 million signatures

Business, employees and money are being taken away: why rich people leave California

California city will pay tourists a visit: famous for barbecue and wine

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