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California Proposition 8, Recall of Elected Officials Amendment (October 1911)
| California Proposition 30 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date October 10, 1911 | |
| Topic Recall measures | |
Status Approved | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
California Proposition 8 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in California on October 10, 1911. It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported this constitutional amendment to create a process to recall elected officials. |
A "no" vote opposed this constitutional amendment to create a process to recall elected officials. |
Overview
The ballot measure amended the California Constitution to provide for a process to recall elected officials.[1]
Election results
|
California Proposition 8 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
178,115 | 76.82% | ||
| No | 53,755 | 23.18% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Proposition 8 was as follows:
| “ | Recall by the Electors, of public officials. | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ | Senate Constitutional Amendment No 23, a resolution proposing to the people of the state of California an amendment to the constitution of the State of California, adding a new article thereto to be numbered article XXIII, providing for the recall by the electors, of public officials. | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Support
Arguments
- Gov. Hiram Johnson (R) supported the constitutional amendment. He said, "How best can we arm the people to protect themselves hereafter?... We can give to the people the means by which they may accomplish such other reforms as they desire, [and] the means as well by which they may prevent the misuse of the power... The first step in our design to preserve and perpetuate popular government shall be the adoption of the initiative, the referendum, and the recall."[2]
Opposition
Arguments
- The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board wrote about the election on October 11, 1911, which included the recall amendment, an initiative and referendum amendment, and a women's suffrage amendment. The editorial board wrote, "The whole situation is one of haste, of undue, fanatical eagerness to have the work approved before it has been studied. ... Women suffrage should be defeated because it tends to unsex society and destroy the home. ... The initiative and referendum should be defeated because they are instruments of the turbulent few and their adoption means recurrent elections of frivolous character. …The recall should be defeated because it makes official and judicial cowards and destroys stability and independence."[3]
Background
California was the second state to adopt a recall process. Oregon was the first state, where voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1908.
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the California Constitution
A two-thirds vote was needed in each chamber of the California State Legislature to refer the constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration.
The constitutional amendment was introduced into the Legislature as Senate Concurrent Resolution 23 in 1911.[1]
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 UC-Hastings, "California October 11, 1911, Voter Guide," accessed February 18, 2021
- ↑ Gendzel, Glen. 2013. "The People versus the Octopus: California Progressives and the Origins of Direct Democracy." Siècles 37.
- ↑ Schecter, David. 2008. "California's Right of Removal: Recall Politics in the Modern Era." California Politics & Policy 12 (1).
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