Voting in the Palisades: 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Palisadians began receiving ballots by mail this week, as early voting is underway for the Tuesday, September 14, California gubernatorial recall election.

The recall process allows voters to decide whether to remove elected public officials from office before their term is over. Before a recall election can be initiated, a number of voters must sign a petition and secure enough valid signatures to get it on the ballot. Only one California governor has been recalled in the past: Gray Davis in 2003.

The campaign to recall current Governor Gavin Newsom needed 1,495,709 valid signatures turned in by March 17 to make the ballot—or 12% of the 12,464,235 votes cast in the previous gubernatorial election, according to the Secretary of State’s office. Each county registrar had until April 19 to verify signatures.

Across all 58 California counties, the recall campaign collected 1,626,042 valid signatures, as of the final verification that was due on Thursday, April 29—triggering the next phases of the recall process and election.

The official ballot for the gubernatorial recall election has two questions for voters: Should Newsom be recalled? Who should replace Newsom if the recall passes?

All candidates for the office of governor are listed on the ballot, for a total of 46 contesting candidates, ranging from media personalities Caitlyn Jenner and Larry Elder to college student John R. Drake, cannabis policy advisor Jacqueline McGowan and farmer Doug Ose.

Voters can vote on either one or both parts of the recall ballot.

If the majority of the votes on the recall question are “yes,” Newsom will be removed from office and the replacement candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be declared elected for the remainder of the governor’s term of office, according to the Secretary of State’s office. If one-half or more of the votes on the recall question are “no,” Newsom will remain in office.

All registered voters will be issued a vote by mail ballot, which were mailed in mid-August. Completed ballots may be placed in 24-hour ballot drop-off boxes—one is located in front of Palisades Branch Library—in the U.S. Mail or dropped off at a voting center.

Palisades Recreation Center, located at 851 Alma Real, will be open for in-person voting Saturday, September 4, through Monday, September 13, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Election Day, Tuesday, September 14, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Monday, August 30, is the last day to register to vote. After the deadline, people can conditionally register and vote at the county’s elections office or polling location, up to and including Election Day. Conditional voter registration means a ballot will be processed and counted once the voter registration verification process is complete.

Voters will be able to register on-site at Palisades Recreation Center.

To check voter registration status, visit voterstatus.sos.ca.gov. To update voter registration or check eligibility to register to vote, visit registertovote.ca.gov.