How can Senators be recalled?
The process in each state is different, but there are some common aspects. In general, an organization must be formed to conduct the petition drive for signatures of registered voters who believe that the Senator(s) should be recalled. Once the petition is approved by the state’s supervisory department (usually the Secretary of State or the State Board of Elections) the organization has a certain period of time to gather the signatures—usually 60 to 180 days. The organization then must gather the requisite number of signatures (depending on the state, anywhere from 15% to 40% of the number of registered voters who voted in the last gubernatorial or senate election) and file them with the appropriate government department. Afterwards, depending on the state’s law, either a recall election will be held to determine if the Senator should be recalled, with the Senator then standing for re-election in a special election, or the Senator will stand for re-election on the next election ballot.
