Gavin Newsom Recall Effort Qualifies for the Ballot

Organizers amassed more than 1.6 million signatures to surpass the threshold

The effort to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom is officially set to move forward, having met the threshold necessary to qualify for the ballot with more than 1.6 million signatures.

The California Secretary of State’s office said Monday that the recall effort has amassed 1,626,042 signatures, exceeding the total of 1,495,709 required to qualify for the ballot. That threshold represents 12% of the ballots cast in the last gubernatorial election.

“This now triggers the next phase of the recall process, a 30-business-day period in which voters may submit written requests to county Registrars of Voters to remove their names from the recall petition,” Secretary of State Secretary Weber said in a statement. “A recall election will be held unless a sufficient number of signatures are withdrawn.”

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Following the 30-day period, the process will move forward unless enough signatories request to have their names withdrawn, causing the number to drop below the threshold. The Department of Finance will then come up with an estimate for the cost of the election, which will be reviewed by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and submitted to the Lieutenant Governor to set a date.

“We knew we gathered enough signatures, and now it’s time to turn it over to the voters,” Dave Gilliard, one of the Republican strategists leading the effort, told the Los Angeles Times. “We’re very confident that they’re going to want to change direction in California and remove Gavin Newsom and go with someone else.”

A March poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California found that 56% of likely voters oppose the recall, with just 40% in support and the rest undecided.

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