How is a recall election initiated?
California law allows for a recall election for statewide officials if a recall petition is signed by a number of voters equal to 12 percent of the number of people who voted in the most recent election for that office. To recall state legislators, petitioners must collect a number of signatures equal to 20 percent of the number of people who voted in the most recent election. The process begins when a notice-of-intent-to-recall is filed, which must be signed by 65 voters. Leaders of the recall effort then have 160 days to collect the necessary number of signatures. If the required number of signatures is collected, the secretary of state validates the signatures and then certifies the petition. After certification, the lieutenant governor has 60 to 80 days to call an election.
