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Michael Victorino recall, Maui County, Hawaii (2021)
| Maui County Mayoral recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2021 Recalls in Hawaii Hawaii recall laws County official recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Michael Victorino from his position as the mayor of Maui County, Hawaii, did not go to a vote. Recall supporters did not submit enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot.[1]
The recall effort began in October 2021. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to collect 21,586 signatures in 30 days.[2] The county did not verify enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot after recall supporters turned in the first round of petitions. Supporters had until December 29, 2021, to file supplemental signatures.[3]
Recall supporters listed concerns with COVID-19 vaccine mandates, government transparency, leadership competency, water diversion issues, and affordable housing as reasons for the recall effort. Victorino said he was doing the best job he could.[2]
To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here.
Recall supporters
Sheila Walker, a lead organizer of the recall effort, called the county's COVID-19 vaccine mandates "illegal and absolutely uncalled for." Walker said about the recall process, "I feel like this type of statement is one of the legal ways we have in going about stopping the mandates."[2]
Napua Hueu, another organizer of the recall effort, said, "It seems the main reason people are being motivated to recall the mayor is because he continues to curate unrealistic mandates pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic instead of promoting early treatment alternatives and preventative care."[2]
Hueu said there were other reasons to recall the mayor, including lack of government transparency concerning CARES Act funds, lack of leadership competency, water diversion issues, and affordable housing.[2]
Recall opponents
In response to the recall effort, Victorino said, "I’m saddened to hear this, but it’s their right to come forward and feel like I’m not doing the job that they want, but I still believe the vast majority of Maui County appreciates the work that my administration and other professionals that work with us have been doing throughout this pandemic."[2]
Victorino said that though the mandates may have seemed strict, they served a purpose. "I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish," Victorino said.[2]
"Yes, this pandemic has slowed down things like housing and other issues, not only here, but all over the United States," Victorino said. "(Recall organizers) are bringing in everything, like homelessness, and water– they want to try to get me on everything — but you know, for me, I’m doing the best job that I can for the people of Maui County and those that don’t like what I do, I’m sorry."[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Hawaii
Recall supporters filed paperwork to start the recall process with the Maui County Clerk on October 21, 2021. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters would have had to collect 21,586 signatures in 30 days. The number of signatures was equal to 20% of registered voters in the county in the last general election.[2]
Recall supporters said they turned in signatures on November 20, 2021.[4] The county clerk had until December 10, 2021, to verify the signatures.[5] The county verified 1,564 of the 3,211 signatures that were submitted. Recall supporters had until December 29, 2021, to file supplemental signatures.[3] The county announced in January 2022 that not enough supplemental signatures had been verified to put the recall on the ballot.[1]
Ballotpedia covered 35 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 94 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. This is a decrease from both 2020 and 2021. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, there were 87 COVID-related recalls against 89 officials, and in 2021, there were 131 against 214 officials.
The chart below compares coronavirus-related recalls to recalls for all other reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
See also
- Maui County, Hawaii
- Recall campaigns in Hawaii
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- County official recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Maui News, "Mayoral recall effort fails in second attempt to collect signatures," January 13, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 The Maui News, "Campaign launched to recall mayor," October 25, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Maui News, "Initial effort to recall the mayor falls 20,022 signatures short," December 11, 2021
- ↑ The Maui News, "Mayor recall organizers face deadline today," November 20, 2021
- ↑ The Maui News, "Victorino recall petition signatures under review," November 24, 2021
