Voting Rights

WomenMatter will continuously post updates on all this and other issues as we monitor the continuing philosophical and practical debates nationwide. Please check back often for updates. Past updates are available for reference on the Voting Rights Archives page.

Direct Democracy: A Power to use Sparingly

The California recall election is an example of direct democracy. Like an initiative or a referendum, a recall allows voters to affect government directly, instead of through a representative body like a state legislature.

When voters want to propose a statute or amend their state constitution themselves, they start an initiative. When voters want to reject a law or an amendment that has been proposed by their state legislature, they start a referendum. And, as we all now know, when voters want to oust their governor (or other government official), they start a recall.

You can’t recall everywhere

Statewide ballot measures are not possible in all states. 24 states allow for state initiatives or referendums on their ballots and only 18 states allow for recalls. Of course, many of these states allow all three.

So, does this mean that we are going to see 17 more recall elections modeled after the California one?

Is this a trend?

The Initiative and Referendum institute has reported an unusually high number of inquiries about recalls over the past two months. Voters from all over the country are wondering if they can recall their governors.

Although a wave of recalls is possible, it is not likely. The improbability is not due to happy citizens, however. It is because most of the other 17 states make it quite difficult to recall a governor. California requires an abnormally low percentage of signatures from voters,12%. In most of the other 17 states, it is twice that.

In the other states that allow for recalls, it would take an enormous effort to throw out a governor. For example, Kansas requires signatures from 40% of voters, and six of the states require specific reasons for ejecting the state’s chief executive (incompetence, neglect of duties, criminal conviction).

Recalls that you haven’t heard about (Recalling women officials)

Nevertheless, the California recall has inspired Oregon and Montana voters to begin collecting signatures to overthrow their officials. In Montana, Republican Governor Judy Martz faces a possible recall; there, it only takes 10% of voters to drive out an unpopular governor.

In Oregon, some Portland residents are trying to rid themselves of their mayor, Vera Katz. Like all ballot measures, a recall is much more likely to go through if it is at the local level (city, town, county). So Katz may well be doomed. Throughout our country’s varied and tumultuous history, only one governor has been recalled. In 1921, North Dakota Governor Lynn Frazier was recalled.

Gray Davis is the only male official facing recall out of this bunch. Maybe it is just a coincidence. Or maybe voters have a lower tolerance for imperfect governing when the governor is a woman.

Recall: Power to be used sparingly

Ballot measures (referendums, initiatives, and recalls) are important because they help voters to maintain power in government. For example, recall provisions allow voters to retain control over their elected officials.

However, this power should be used sparingly. Recall elections are extremely expensive (California’s may cost around $40 million) and they are disruptive to the political process. Recall elections require officials to go back to campaigning instead of doing their jobs.

Voters should also be aware that a recall election could be a political strategy of the opposing party. Do we really want the recall election to become a fad that fuels partisan politics? A recall election is like your life savings; don’t use it unless you really need it.

If you still want to oust your governor…

You can consider recalling your governor if you live in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, California (duh), Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.

To discuss this topic with other WomenMatter readers, [click here]. To read more about the California Recall election, [click here]. To contact your representatives, [click here].

Update Posted on: 8/26/2003

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