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California Recall Elections Amendment (2020)
| California Recall Elections Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2020 | |
| Topic Recall measures | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
The California Recall Elections Amendment was not on the ballot in California as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 3, 2020.
The ballot measure would have replaced the two-ballot format for recall elections with a one-ballot format. The ballot measure would have had the official targeted for recall run in the election with potential replacement candidates. As of 2020, a recall election in California asked two questions. First, voters were asked, "Shall [official] be recalled from the [office name]?" Second, voters were asked which candidate should succeed the incumbent if he or she is recalled.[1]
Text of measure
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article II, California Constitution
The measure would have amended Section 15 of Article II of the California Constitution. The following underlined text would have been added and struck-through text would have been deleted:[1]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
(a) An (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), an election to determine whether to recall an officer and, if appropriate, to elect a successor shall be called by the Governor and held not less than 60 days nor more than 80 days from the date of certification of sufficient signatures.
(2) If the officer resigns no later than 10 days after the date of certification of sufficient signatures, the office is vacant and a recall election shall not be held. This paragraph does not apply to an office filled pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 16 of Article VI.
(b) A recall election may be conducted within 180 days from the date of certification of sufficient signatures in order that the election may be consolidated with the next regularly scheduled election occurring wholly or partially within the same jurisdiction in which the recall election is held, if the number of voters eligible to vote at that next regularly scheduled election equal at least 50 percent of all the voters eligible to vote at the recall election.
(c) If the majority vote on the question is to recall, the Except as provided in subdivision (d), the officer’s name shall be placed on the ballot as a candidate if the officer has not resigned pursuant to subdivision (a). Other candidates for the office shall be nominated in the manner provided by law. If a candidate other than the officer receives a plurality, that candidate is elected as the successor to serve the remainder of the officer’s term, and the officer is removed and, if there is a candidate, the candidate who receives a plurality is the successor. The officer may not be a candidate, nor shall there be any candidacy for an office filled pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 16 of Article VI. from office. If the officer receives a plurality, the recall fails and the officer shall remain in office.
(d) For an office filled pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 16 of Article VI, if the majority vote on the question is to recall, the officer is removed and there shall be no successor candidacy for that office.[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the California Constitution
In California, a two-thirds vote is needed in each chamber of the California State Legislature to refer a constitutional amendment to the ballot for voter consideration.
Sen. Ben Allen (D-26) was the lead author of the constitutional amendment, titled Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 (SCA 2) in the California State Legislature. On July 11, 2019, the California State Senate voted 28-11 to pass SCA 2. At least 27 votes were needed to pass the constitutional amendment. The proposal did not receive a vote in the House.[1]
| Vote in the California State Senate | |||
| Requirement: Two-thirds (66.67 percent) vote of all members in each chamber | |||
Number of yes votes required: 27  | |||
| Yes | No | Not voting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 28 | 11 | 1 |
| Total percent | 70.00% | 27.50% | 2.50% |
| Democrat | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Republican | 0 | 10 | 1 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 California State Legislature, "SCA 2," accessed July 22, 2019
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source.
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