View source for Recall election

{{Short description|Direct vote to replace an elected official before the end of their term}}
{{Direct Democracy}}
{{Elections}}
A '''recall election''' (also called a '''recall referendum''', '''recall petition''' or '''representative recall''') is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a [[referendum]] before that official's [[term of office]] has ended. Recalls appear in the [[:s:Athenian Constitution|constitution]] in ancient [[Athenian democracy]].<ref>Aristotle, ''Constitution of Athens'' 43.4</ref> Even where they are legally available, recall elections are only commonly held in a small number of countries including [[Peru]], [[Ecuador]], and [[Japan]].<ref>{{cite web|last=European commission for democracy through law|date=4 July 2019|title=REPORT ON THE RECALL OF MAYORS AND LOCAL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES|url=https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-AD(2019)011rev-e|access-date=July 17, 2021}}</ref> They are considered by groups such as [[ACE Electoral Knowledge Network]] as the most rarely used form of [[direct democracy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=ACE|url=https://aceproject.org/ace-en/focus/direct-democracy/recall/mobile_browsing/onePag|access-date=2021-04-15|website=aceproject.org}}</ref>

{{TOC limit|3}}

== Process ==
The processes for recall elections vary greatly by country and can be originated in different ways.

=== Initiating a recall ===
This can be done in two ways:
* Indirect (also known as a "Mixed"<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Beramendi|first=Virginia|date=2008|others=et al|title=Direct Democracy|url=https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/publications/direct-democracy-the-international-idea-handbook.pdf|website=International IDEA|publisher=International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance}}</ref> or "Top-down"<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Recall referendum around the world: origins, institutional designs and current debates|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328759418|access-date=2021-07-10|website=ResearchGate|date=January 2018 |language=en}}</ref> recall): A recall may only be triggered by an official authority such as a government, parliament, or president.
*Direct (also known as a "Full"<ref name=":0" /> or "Bottom-up"<ref name=":1" /> recall): A recall may be triggered by the public directly by the collection of signatures.

== Costs ==
=== Financial costs ===
The scheduling of a recall outside of normal elections causes additional expense. For example, the [[2021 California gubernatorial recall election]] cost taxpayers $300 million<ref>{{Cite web |last=SFGATE |first=Joshua Bote |date=2021-09-15 |title=Here's how much the failed Newsom recall election cost California |url=https://www.sfgate.com/gavin-newsom-recall/article/How-much-Gavin-Newsom-recall-election-cost-Calif-16460014.php |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}}</ref> for an election that the governor won 61.9% to 38.1%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gavin Newsom recall, Governor of California (2019-2021) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Gavin_Newsom_recall,_Governor_of_California_(2019-2021) |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>

=== Turnout ===
Many recall elections take place in [[Off-year election|off-years]], resulting in much lower voter turnout than regularly scheduled elections.

=== Education ===
Some recall elections have different rules than normal elections, requiring voter education and outreach.

== By country ==

=== Argentina ===
The recall referendum arrived in Latin America shortly after its introduction at the US subnational level, in 1923 and 1933, to [[Córdoba Province, Argentina|Cordoba]] and [[Entre Ríos Province|Entre Ríos]] provinces, respectively, both in Argentina. There, recall exists at the provincial level in [[Chaco Province|Chaco]] (introduced in 1957), [[Chubut Province|Chubut]] (1994), Córdoba (1923, 1987), [[Corrientes Province|Corrientes]] (1960), [[La Rioja Province, Argentina|La Rioja]] (1986), [[Río Negro Province|Rio Negro]] (1988), [[Santiago del Estero Province|Santiago del Estero]] and [[Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina|Tierra del Fuego]] (1991); other provinces include it for their municipalities, namely, Entre Ríos (1933), [[Neuquén]] (1957), [[Misiones Province|Misiones]] (1958), [[San Juan, Argentina|San Juan]] (1986), [[San Luis, Argentina|San Luis]] (1987). It is also included in [[Buenos Aires|Buenos Aires City]] (1996).<ref>Welp, Yanina (2018) "Recall referendum around the world: origins, institutional designs and current debates", in Morel, Laurence & Qvortrup, Matt. Compendium on Direct Democracy. Routledge.</ref>

=== Canada ===
An attempt at introducing recall legislation for Canada's federal [[Parliament]] was brought in October 1999 by [[Reform Party of Canada|Reform Party]] opposition member [[Ted White (politician)|Ted White]] through a private members bill entitled ''Bill C 269, the Recall Act (An Act to establish the right of electors to recall members of Parliament.)''.<ref>https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/36-2/bill/C-269/first-reading/ BILL C-269</ref> However, the legislation stalled and did not progress past [[first reading]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://openparliament.ca/bills/36-2/C-269/ | title=Bill C-269 (Historical) &#124; openparliament.ca }}</ref>

As such, no nation-wide recall statute exists, but two provinces, Alberta and [[British Columbia]]<ref name = "cbc recall">{{cite news |title=Citizens need power to recall politicians, expert says |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/citizens-need-power-to-recall-politicians-expert-says-1.1301005 |access-date=May 26, 2020 |work=CBC News |date=March 21, 2013}}</ref><ref name="elections bc" />  have recall laws on the books.

==== Alberta ====
The province of [[Alberta]] enacted recall legislation for Members of the Legislative Assembly in 1936 during the [[Alberta Social Credit Party|Social Credit]] government of [[William Aberhart]].<ref name = "cbc recall" /> The legislation was repealed after a petition was introduced for the recall of Aberhart himself.<ref name = "cbc recall"/><ref>{{cite journal |first=Don |last=Rowat |title=Our Referendums are not Direct Democracy |journal=[[Canadian Parliamentary Review]] |date=1998 |volume=21 |issue=3 |pages=25–27 |url=http://www.revparl.ca/21/3/21n3_98e_Rowat.pdf}}</ref>

In 2020, the Government of Alberta announced it will introduce a bill allowing recall elections for Members of the Legislative Assembly, municipal governments, and school boards.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bellefontaine |first1=Michelle |title=Alberta government plans to table recall legislation for MLAs, local councils |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-throne-speech-recall-legislation-1.5475599 |access-date=May 26, 2020 |work=CBC News |date=February 25, 2020}}</ref> This bill, Bill 52, was passed and received Royal Assent June 17, 2021, and came into effect on April 7, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Recall and Initiative |url=https://www.elections.ab.ca/recall-initiative/ |website=Elections Alberta |access-date=September 18, 2021}}</ref>

==== New Brunswick ====
Recall was available in New Brunswick in the early 20th century. A successful recall election took place in Saint John in late 1918.<ref>{{cite news |title=St. John Commissioners Recalled in Election, Official Heads Lost Jobs as Result of Dismissing Policemen |work=The Calgary Daily Herald |date=December 31, 1918 |page=7 |id={{ProQuest|2252602942}}}}</ref>

==== British Columbia ====
British Columbia's ''Recall and Initiative Act'', enacted in 1995, provides a process for recalling members of the [[Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]].<ref name="elections bc">{{cite web |title=Recall |url=https://elections.bc.ca/recall-initiative/recall/ |website=Elections BC |date=13 December 2016 |access-date=May 26, 2020}}</ref> Voters in a provincial [[electoral district (Canada)|riding]] can petition to have their Member of the Legislative Assembly removed from office once said MLA has been in office for at least 18 months. If over 40 percent of registered voters in the riding sign the petition and the petition is validated by [[Elections BC]], the Chief Electoral Officer informs the [[Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia|Speaker of the Legislative Assembly]] and the member in question that the member has been recalled and their seat vacated. A [[by-election]] is called by the [[Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia]] as soon as possible to fill the vacant seat. The recalled MLA is permitted to run in the by-election for their former seat. Twenty-six recall petitions have been launched {{As of|2020|lc=y}}; of the six completed petitions returned to Elections BC, five were rejected for having too few valid signatures.<ref name="elections bc" /> The sixth, on the recall of MLA  [[Paul Reitsma]], was halted after Reitsma resigned in 1998 during the secondary verification stage.<ref name = "cbc recall" />

=== Colombia ===
In Colombia, the recall referendum was included by the [[Colombian Constitution of 1991|constitution]] in 1991. The constitutional replacement was launched as an answer to the movement known as [[Colombian Constitution of 1991#Student movement and the séptima papeleta|''la séptima papeleta'']] (the seventh ballot), which requested a constitutional reform to end violence, narcoterrorism, corruption and increasing citizenship apathy. The definition of recall referendum in relation to programmatic vote was approved.{{clarify|date=June 2019}} It obliges candidates running for office to register a government plan which is later on considered to activate the recall.{{clarify|date=June 2019}} Since the time the mechanism was regulated by Law 134 in 1994, until 2015, 161 attempts led 41 referendums and none of them succeeded since the threshold of participation was not reached. In 2015, a new law (303/2015) reduced the number of signatures required to activate a recall referendum (from 40 per cent to 30 per cent of the total of votes obtained by the elected authority) and the threshold (dropping from the 50 per cent to the 40 per cent of valid votes on the day of the elections of the challenged authority). The change in the regulation, also quickening the registration of promoters, led to a considerable increase in the number of attempts.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1080/13510347.2017.1421176|title = Playing by the rules of the game: Partisan use of recall referendums in Colombia| journal=Democratization| volume=25| issue=8| pages=1379–1396|year = 2018|last1 = Welp|first1 = Yanina| last2=Milanese| first2=Juan Pablo|s2cid = 148682037|url = https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/157703/1/Welp2_2018.pdf}}</ref>

=== Cuba ===
According to [[Constitution of Cuba|its constitution]], Cuba is a [[Socialist state|socialist republic]] in which all members of representative bodies of state power are subject to recall by the masses.<ref name="roman103">{{cite book|title=People's Power: Cuba's Experience with Representative Government|first=Peter|last=Roman|year=2003|pages=103–104|series=Critical currents in Latin American perspective|isbn=978-0-7425-2565-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tFQ7bVuGkBsC&pg=PA103}}</ref> As a principle of [[soviet democracy]], similar recall provisions have been included in the constitutions of many other [[Communist state|communist countries]], including [[#Soviet Union|that of the Soviet Union]]. Although allowable according to law, in practice the right of recall was never used.

=== Ecuador ===
Article 105 of the  [[2008 Constitution of Ecuador]] provides for recall of all elected officials: 
{{blockquote
 |text = People in enjoyment of political rights may revoke the mandate of popularly elected authorities. The request for revocation of the mandate may be submitted once the first and before the last year of the period for which the authority in question was elected. During the management period of an authority, only one process of revocation of the mandate may be carried out. The revocation request must be supported by a number not less than ten percent of people registered in the corresponding electoral registry. In the case of the President of the Republic, the support of a number not less than fifteen percent of those registered in the electoral registry will be required.     
|source = Article 105 of the Constitution of Ecuador (translated from Spanish)
}}

=== Germany ===

==== Mayoral Recalls ====
[[Mayor]]s may be recalled in 11 out of the [[States of Germany|16 states]] of [[Germany]]. In a majority of these states recall elections are indirect, meaning that they only take place after a [[motion of no confidence]] from the municipal council of the [[Municipalities of Germany|city]]. A [[supermajority]] vote is normally needed to start the recall process from the council. Four states also allow the direct recall, where citizens may sign a petition to trigger the recall vote.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Process of recalling mayors in Germany
! rowspan="2" |State
! rowspan="2" |Year of 
introduction
! colspan="2" |Requires either:
! rowspan="2" |Turnout requirement of recall vote
(Percentage of Voters)
|-
!Signatures  
(percentage of citizens)
!Municipal councilors 
vote 
|-
|{{Flag|Brandenburg}}
| align=center |1993
| align=center |15-20%
| align=center |2/3
| align=center |25%
|-
|{{Flag|Hesse}}
| align=center |1993
| align=center | Not available
| align=center |2/3
| align=center |30%
|-
|{{Flag|Lower Saxony}}
| align=center |1996
| align=center | Not available
| align=center |3/4
| align=center |25%
|-
|{{Flag|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern}}
| align=center |1999
| align=center | Not available
| align=center |2/3
| align=center |33.33%
|-
|{{Flag|North Rhine-Westphalia}}
| align=center |1999
| align=center |15-20%
| align=center |2/3
| align=center |25%
|-
|{{Flag|Rhineland-Palatinate}}
| align=center |1994
| align=center | Not available
| align=center |2/3
| align=center |30%
|-
|{{Flag|Saarland}}
| align=center |1994
| align=center | Not available
| align=center |2/3
| align=center |30%
|-
|{{Flag|Saxony}}
| align=center |1994
| align=center |33.33%
| align=center |3/4
| align=center |50%
|-
|{{Flag|Saxony-Anhalt}}
| align=center |1994
| align=center | Not available
| align=center |3/4
| align=center |30%
|-
|{{Flag|Schleswig-Holstein}}
| align=center |1997
| align=center |20%
| align=center |2/3
| align=center |20%
|-
|{{Flag|Thuringia}}
| align=center |1994
| align=center | Not available
| align=center |1/2
| align=center |30%
|-
! colspan="5" |Source<ref>Geissel, Brigitte & Jung, Stefan. (2018). Recall in Germany: explaining the use of a local democratic innovation. Democratization. 25. 1358-1378. 10.1080/13510347.2017.1398735. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327748229_Recall_in_Germany_explaining_the_use_of_a_local_democratic_innovation</ref>
|}

==== State parliaments ====
The recall of members of the [[State Parliament (Germany)|state parliaments]] of Germany exist in five [[States of Germany|states]]; [[Bavaria]], [[Berlin]], [[Brandenburg]], [[Bremen (state)|Bremen]], and [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]. All of these states only allow for the recall of the entire legislature by triggering a new election, the recall of individual members is not allowed.<ref>{{cite web|last=Venice Commission|title=REPORT ON THE RECALL OF MAYORS AND LOCAL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES|url=https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-AD(2019)011rev-e}}</ref>

Article 18, Section 3 of the [https://www.bayern.landtag.de/fileadmin/Internet_Dokumente/Sonstiges_P/BV_Verfassung_Englisch_formatiert_14-12-16.pdf Constitution of Bavaria] provides, that the entire [[Landtag of Bavaria|Landtag]] can be dismissed by referendum on petition of 1 Million citizens, with elections of a new Landtag to be held up to six weeks after the recall referendum.

=== India ===
{{See also|Right to Recall laws in India}}

=== Kiribati ===
Section 69 of the [[Constitution of Kiribati]] provides for a majority of electors in a district (who were electors of the district at the time of the original election) to sign a petition requesting a recall election. The recall election must not occur less than 6 months after the original election or a failed recall attempt. If the recall election is successful another election to fill the seat must be held within 3 months.

=== Latvia ===
Article 14 of the [[Constitution of Latvia]] enables the recall of the entire [[Saiema]], though not of specific representatives:

:<u>Article 14</u>: Not less than one tenth of electors has the right to initiate a national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima.
:If the majority of voters and at least two thirds of the number of the voters who participated in the last elections of the Saeima vote in the national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima, then the Saeima shall be deemed recalled.
:The right to initiate a national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima may not be exercised one year after the convening of the Saeima and one year before the end of the term of office of the Saeima, during the last six months of the term of office of the President, as well as earlier than six months after the previous national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima.
:
:The electors may not recall any individual member of the Saeima.

=== Mexico ===
{{see also|2022 Mexican presidential recall referendum}}
In [[Mexico]], the [[Yucatán|State of Yucatán]] was the first to introduce the recall in 1938. The mechanism, which had never been used, was declared unconstitutional 72 years later by the [[Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation]]. A similar mechanism introduced in [[Chihuahua (state)|Chihuahua]] in 1997 was also declared unconstitutional and consequently eliminated from law. Despite these precedents, the recall was later included in the states of [[Oaxaca]] (1998), [[Morelos]] (2011), [[Guerrero]] (2013), [[Zacatecas]] and [[Aguascalientes]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Limón|first=Walter|date=November 2016|title=Revocación del mandato en México|journal=C2D Working Papers Series|issue=51|doi=10.5167/uzh-127823|url=https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/127823/}}</ref>

=== New Zealand ===
Early policies of the [[New Zealand Labour Party]] included support for "the recall".<ref>
{{cite book
 | last1 = Gustafson
 | first1 = Barry
 | author-link1 = Barry Gustafson
 | title = 	Labour's Path to Political Independence: Origins and Establishment of the New Zealand Labour Party, 1900-19
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=YNVaAwAAQBAJ
 | series = EBL ebooks online
 | publisher = Auckland University Press
 | date = 2013
 | isbn = 9781869405199
 | access-date = 17 Feb 2019
 | quote = The 1914 election was fought primarily on the issues of the cost of living and the reform Government's handling of the 1913 strike. [...] Other questions [...] also unduly preoccupied the Labour candidates: constitutional matters, for example, such as proportional representation, the initiative, the abolition of the country quota, the referendum, and the recall of MPs.
}}
</ref><ref>
[https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19161031.2.68?query=hero%20bodies Proposed platform], 1916.
</ref>

=== Peru ===
Recall regulations were introduced in Peru by the [[Democratic Constituent Congress]] (''Congreso Constituyente Democrático'') which drafted a new constitution after [[Alberto Fujimori]]'s [[Self-coup|''autogolpe'']] in 1992. Between 1997 and 2013, more than 5000 recall referendums were activated against democratically elected authorities from 747 Peruvian municipalities (45.5% of all municipalities). This makes Peru the world's most intensive user of this mechanism.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Welp |first1=Yanina |year=2016 |title=Recall referendums in Peruvian municipalities: A political weapon for bad losers or an instrument of accountability? |journal=Democratization |volume=23 |issue=7 |pages=1162–1179 |doi=10.1080/13510347.2015.1060222 |s2cid=147241493}}</ref>

=== Philippines ===
Article 10 of the [[constitution of the Philippines|1987 constitution of the Philippines]] allows for the recall of local officials. The Local Government Code, as amended, enabled the application of the provisions of the constitution. Elected officials from provincial governors to the [[barangay]] (village) councilors are potentially subject to recall. At least 15% of the electorate in a specific place must have their signatures verified in a petition in order for the recall to take place.<ref>
{{cite news|last1= Bueza|first1= Michael|title= Fast Facts: The recall process|url= https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/70044-fast-facts-process-recall|access-date= 5 February 2018|work= Rappler|date= 2014-10-14|language= en}}
</ref>

The president, vice president, members of Congress, and the elected officials of the [[Bangsamoro]] cannot be removed via recall.

Above the barangay level, there had been eight recall elections, of which at least 2 led to a successful recall of an incumbent; the most recent recall election was the [[2015 Puerto Princesa mayoral recall election]]. 

=== Switzerland ===
While recalls are not provided for at the federal level in Switzerland, six [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantons]] allow them:<ref name=NZZ>{{cite news|last=Jankovsky|first=Peter|title=Der Versuch, eine Exekutive zu stoppen|newspaper=[[Neue Zürcher Zeitung]]|date=22 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/00344893.2015.1056219|title=The History of a Dormant Institution: Legal Norms and the Practice of Recall in Switzerland|journal=Representation|volume=51|issue=2|pages=161–172|year=2015|last1=Serdült|first1=Uwe|s2cid=153335791}}</ref>
*[[Canton of Bern|Bern]]: Recall of the executive and legislative has been possible since 1846. 30,000 signatures (4% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There has been one unsuccessful attempt to recall the executive in 1852 (the 'Schatzgelder' affair).
*[[Schaffhausen]]: Recall of the executive and legislative has been possible since 1876. 1,000 signatures (2% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There has been one unsuccessful attempt to recall the executive in 2000, triggered by the lawyer and cantonal MP Gerold Meier.
*[[Canton of Solothurn|Solothurn]]: Recall of the executive and legislative has been possible since 1869. 6,000 signatures (3% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There has been one unsuccessful attempt to recall the executive and legislative in 1995 (related to a banking scandal). Three further attempts (in 1887, 1961 and 1973) failed to collect the necessary number of signatures.
*[[Ticino]]: Recall of the executive has been possible since 1892. 15,000 signatures (7% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There has been one unsuccessful recall attempt in 1942. In addition, recall of municipal executives has been possible since 2011. Signatures of 30% of all adult citizens are required to trigger a recall referendum.
*[[Thurgau]]: Recall of the executive and legislative has been possible since 1869. 20,000 signatures (13% of all adult citizens) are required to trigger a recall referendum. There have been no recall attempts.
*[[Canton of Uri|Uri]]: Recall of the executive and legislative has been possible since 1888. Since 1979, 600 signatures (3% of all adult citizens) have been required to trigger a recall referendum. In addition, recall of municipal executives and legislatives has been possible since 2011. Signatures of 10% of registered voters are required to trigger a recall referendum. There have been no recall attempts either at the cantonal or municipal levels.

The possibility of recall referendums (together with the popular election of executives, the [[Popular initiative|initiative]] and the legislative referendum) was introduced into several cantonal constitutions after the 1860s in the course of a broad movement for democratic reform. The instrument has never been of any practical importance—the few attempts at recall so far have failed, usually because the required number of signatures was not collected—and it was abolished in the course of constitutional revisions in [[Aargau]] (1980), [[Baselland]] (1984) and [[Canton of Lucerne|Lucerne]] (2007). The only successful recall so far happened in the Canton of Aargau in the year 1862. However, the possibility of recalling municipal executives was newly introduced in Ticino in 2011, with 59% of voters in favor, as a reaction to the perceived problem of squabbling and dysfunctional municipal governments.<ref name=NZZ />

=== Soviet Union ===
Article 142 of The [[1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union|1936 Constitution]] of the [[Soviet Union]] gave the right in theory to recall deputies in legislatures at all levels of government:
{{blockquote
|text = '''Article 142.'''  It is the duty of every deputy to report to his electors on his work and on the work of the [[Soviet (council)|Soviet of Working People's Deputies]], and he is liable to be recalled at any time in the manner established by law upon decision of a majority of the electors.
|source = [[1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union]]}}

As a principle of [[soviet democracy]], similar recall provisions have been widely copied in the constitutions of other [[Communist state|communist countries]], including those [[#Cuba|of Cuba]], [[China]], [[Vietnam]], [[North Korea]], and countries in the [[Eastern Bloc]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Siekmann|first=Robert|date=1977|title=The Development and Practice on the Right of Recall in the Soviet Union since 1917|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/rsl3&id=425&div=&collection=|journal=Review of Socialist Law|volume=3|pages=423–455|doi=10.1163/157303577X00336|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Although allowable according to law, in practice the right of recall was never used in any soviet system of government, except for an attempt in [[Hungarian People's Republic|Hungary]] in 1989.<ref name="venice" >{{Cite web |last=Venice Commission |date=2009 |title=Report on the Imperative Mandate and Similar Practices |url=https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-AD(2009)027-e |access-date=October 10, 2022}}</ref>

=== Taiwan ===
In [[Taiwan]], according to the [[Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China|Additional Articles of the Constitution]], the recall of the president or the vice president shall be initiated upon the proposal of one-fourth of all members of the [[Legislative Yuan]], and also passed by two-thirds of all the members. The final recall must be passed in a recall election by more than one-half of the valid ballots in a vote in which more than one-half of the electorate in the [[free area of the Republic of China]] takes part.<ref>{{cite web|title=Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act|url=https://law.moj.gov.tw/ENG/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=D0020053|website=Laws and Regulations Database of Taiwan, R.O.C.}}</ref>

Other elected officials can be recalled in elections by more than 1/4 of the total electors in the original electoral district, and where the number of votes consenting to the recall is more than that of dissenting.

On 6 June 2020, [[Mayor of Kaohsiung]] [[Han Kuo-yu]] became [[2020 Kaohsiung mayoral recall vote|the first mayor to be recalled]]. 939,090 votes within 969,259 agreed the recall.<ref>{{cite web |title=韓國瑜12日前解職9/12前補選 政院將派代理市長 |date=6 June 2020 |url=https://www.cna.com.tw:443/news/firstnews/202006060144.aspx |access-date=7 July 2021}}</ref>

After [[Mayor of Keelung]] [[George Hsieh]] defeated a recall vote in October 2024, the [[Kuomintang]] proposed amendments to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wang |first1=Flor |last2=Lin |first2=Ching-yin |last3=Wang |first3=Yang-yu |title=KMT urges revision of recall law after Keelung mayor recall vote |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202410140024 |access-date=24 December 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=14 October 2024}}</ref> In December 2024, the [[Legislative Yuan]] approved changes requiring that initiators and signatories of recall petitions provide photocopies of their [[national identification card (Taiwan)|national identification card]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kuo |first1=Chien-shen |last2=Wang |first2=Yang-yu |last3=Chen |first3=Chun-hua |last4=Teng |first4=Pei-ju |title=Legislature approves measures to tighten recall petition requirements |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202412200015 |access-date=24 December 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=20 December 2024}}</ref>

In 2025, due to the [[2024 Taiwanese constitutional controversy]], civic groups launched the "[[Great Recall Wave]]" to recall more than 30 [[Kuomintang]] legislators.<ref>{{cite news| title=Recall proposals reach 47 in Taiwan | website=Taiwan News | date=11 February 2025 | url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6034383 | access-date=16 February 2025}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=April 2025}}

=== Ukraine ===
A year after the [[2015 Ukrainian local elections]], voters can achieve a recall election of an elected deputy or mayor if as many signatures as voters are collected.<ref>[http://bunews.com.ua/politics/item/local-vote-international-implications Local vote, global implications] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004223752/http://bunews.com.ua/politics/item/local-vote-international-implications|date=2015-10-04}}, [[Business Ukraine]] (1 October 2015)<br />[http://www.unian.info/society/1154212-poroshenko-responds-to-petition-on-recalling-mps.html Poroshenko responds to petition on recalling MPs], [[UNIAN]] (16 October 2015)<br />[http://uacrisis.org/33146-elections-law What the new Local Elections Law changed?], [[Ukrainian Crisis Media Center]] (8 September 2014)</ref>

=== United Kingdom ===
{{Main|Recall of MPs Act 2015}}
The '''Recall of MPs Act 2015 (c. 25)''' is an [[Act of Parliament|Act]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] which mandates a recall petition to be held if a [[Member of Parliament]] is found to have committed certain wrongdoings, including any that result in a custodial prison sentence. The petitions cannot be triggered by popular initiative. The subsequent recall petition is successful if signed by at least 10% of the electorate in the MPs constituency. Successful recall leads to a [[UK Parliamentary by-elections|by-election]] to fill the seat.

The Act received [[Royal Assent#United Kingdom|Royal Assent]] on 26 March 2015 after being introduced on 11 September 2014.<ref name="stages">{{cite web|title=Bill stages — Recall of MPs Act 2015|url=http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2014-15/recallofmps/stages.html|publisher=[[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]|access-date=23 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=legislation>{{cite web|title=Recall of MPs Act 2015 - Legislation PDF|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/25/pdfs/ukpga_20150025_en.pdf|publisher=[[The Stationery Office]]|access-date=23 May 2015}}</ref> [[2018 North Antrim recall petition|The UK’s first recall petition]] occurred in 2018.

There are no recall procedures for other elected officials in the United Kingdom.

=== United States ===

==== History ====
[[File:Presenting Seattle recall petitions 1910.jpg|thumb|400 px|Submitting petitions for the recall of [[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]], mayor [[Hiram Gill]] in December 1910; Gill was removed by a recall election the following February, but voters returned him to the office in 1914]]
Recall first appeared in Colonial America in the laws of the General Court of the [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] in 1631.<ref>Joshua Spivak, History News Network, http://hnn.us/articles/1660.html</ref> This version of the recall involved one elected body removing another official. During the [[American Revolution]], the [[Articles of Confederation]] stipulated that state legislatures might recall delegates from the [[Continental Congress]].<ref>Article V of the Articles of Confederation provided, "a power reserved to each state, to recall its delegates, or any of them, at any time within the year, and to send others in their stead, for the remainder of the Year."</ref> According to New York Delegate John Lansing, the power was never exercised by any state. The [[Virginia Plan]], issued at the outset of the [[Philadelphia Convention]] of 1787, proposed to pair recall with rotation in office and to apply these dual principles to the lower house of the national legislature. The recall was rejected by the Constitutional Convention. However, the anti-Federalists used the lack of recall provision as a weapon in the ratification debates.

Only two governors have ever been recalled. In 1921, Governor [[Lynn Frazier]] of [[North Dakota]] was [[1921 North Dakota gubernatorial recall election|recalled during a dispute about state-owned industries]]. In 2003, Governor [[Gray Davis]] of [[California]] was [[2003 California gubernatorial recall election|recalled over the state budget]]. Additionally, in 1988, a recall was approved against Governor [[Evan Mecham]] of [[Arizona]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Watkins |first=Ronald J. |title=High Crimes and Misdemeanors : The Term and Trials of Former Governor Evan Mecham |publisher=William Morrow & Co |location=New York |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-688-09051-7 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/highcrimesmisdem0000watk/page/194 194–195, 274] |url=https://archive.org/details/highcrimesmisdem0000watk/page/194 }}</ref> but he was impeached and convicted before it got on the ballot.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/13/us/arizona-s-supreme-court-blocks-a-special-gubernatorial-election.html |title=Arizona's Supreme Court Blocks A Special Gubernatorial Election |pages=A20:1 |work=The New York Times |date=April 13, 1988}}</ref>

In [[Alaska]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Kansas]], [[Minnesota]], [[Montana]], [[Rhode Island]], and [[Washington (state)|Washington]], specific grounds are required for a recall. Some form of malfeasance or misconduct while in office must be identified by the petitioners. The target may choose to dispute the validity of the grounds in court, and a court then judges whether the allegations in the petition rise to a level where a recall is necessary. Anna Louise Strong, member of the Seattle School board, was recalled from her position in 1918, apparently on grounds that she was supporting extreme labour positions.<ref>"Statement by Anna Louise Strong regarding the proposed recall..." https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/pioneerlife/id/29098/rec/10</ref> In the November 2010 general election, [[Illinois]] passed a [[referendum]] to amend the state constitution to allow a recall of the state's governor, in light of former Governor [[Rod Blagojevich corruption charges|Rod Blagojevich's corruption scandal]]. In the other eleven states that permit statewide recall, no grounds are required and recall petitions may be circulated for any reason. However, the target is permitted to submit responses to the stated reasons for recall.

The minimum number of signatures to qualify a recall, and the time limit to do so, vary among the states. In addition, the handling of recalls, once they qualify, differs. In some states a recall triggers a simultaneous special election, where the vote on the recall, as well as the vote on the replacement if the recall succeeds, are on the same ballot. In the 2003 California recall election, over 100 candidates appeared on the replacement portion of the ballot. In other states, a separate special election is held after the target is recalled, or a replacement is appointed by the Governor or some other state authority.

The largest amount of recalls in the United States were held in 2021, as 529 officials faced recalls, but it had the lowest amount of successful recalls as only 25 were removed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 10, 2021 |title=Recall elections hit a historic high in 2021 |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/10/politics/recall-elections-increase-governor-school-board/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113104129/https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/10/politics/recall-elections-increase-governor-school-board/index.html |archive-date=January 13, 2022}}</ref>

==== 2011 recalls ====
In 2011, there were at least 150 recall elections in the United States. Of these, 75 officials were recalled, and nine officials resigned under threat of recall. Recalls were held in 17 states in 73 different jurisdictions. [[Michigan]] had the most recalls (at least 30). The year set a record for number of state legislator recall elections (11 elections) beating the previous one-year high (three elections).

Three jurisdictions adopted the recall in 2011.<ref name="blogspot1">{{cite web | url=http://recallelections.blogspot.com/2011/12/year-in-recalls-150-recalls-in-2011.html | title=The Recall Elections Blog: The Year in Recalls -- 151 Recalls in 2011 (edited to add another recall)| date=2011-12-27}}</ref>

Of recall elections, 52 were for [[city council]], 30 were for [[mayor]], 17 were for [[school board]], 11 were for [[State legislature (United States)|state legislators]], and one was for a [[prosecuting attorney]] ([[York County, Nebraska]]). The largest municipality to hold a recall was [[Miami-Dade County, Florida]], for mayor.<ref name="blogspot1"/>

The busiest day was November 8 ([[Election Day (United States)|Election Day]]) with 26 recalls. In 34 jurisdictions, recalls were held over multiple days.<ref name="blogspot1"/>

==== Successful recalls ====

===== Alaska =====
*1998 recall of Tim Peters, mayor of [[North Pole, Alaska]].<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|title=Ex-mayor reimburses North Pole over contested election|url=http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/031101/ala_031101alaska0180001.shtml|newspaper=[[Peninsula Clarion]]|date=March 11, 2001|access-date=December 22, 2013|archive-date=December 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226010304/http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/031101/ala_031101alaska0180001.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===== Arizona =====
* 2011 recall of [[Arizona Senate|Arizona State Senator]] [[Russell Pearce]].
*1988 recall of Arizona Governor Evan Mecham. Almost 390,000 signatures were collected to recall Governor Evan Mecham from the governorship of Arizona. Only 216,746 valid signatures were required.

===== California =====
*1913 recall of a judge in [[San Francisco]]<ref name="Merc Kaplan 1st">{{cite news|title=California's 1st judicial recall in 86 years to come before voters in Santa Clara County|first=Tracey|last=Kaplan|location=San Jose, California|work=[[The Mercury News]]|date=February 6, 2018|access-date=June 5, 2018|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/02/06/5045019/}}</ref>
*1928 recall of [[Lester R. Rice-Wray]], [[Los Angeles, California]], City Council member
*1932 recalls of three judges in [[Los Angeles]]<ref name="Merc Kaplan 1st" />
*1938 recall of Mayor [[Frank L. Shaw]] in [[Los Angeles, California]]
*1995 recall of [[California State Assembly]]man [[Paul Horcher]]
*1995 recall of [[California State Assembly]] Speaker [[Doris Allen (politician)|Doris Allen]]
*[[2003 California gubernatorial recall election|2003 recall]] of [[Gray Davis]], [[Governor of California]]
* 2012 recall of [[Fullerton, California]] City Council members Don Bankhead, F. Richard "Dick" Jones and Patrick McKinley.
* 2018 recall of [[California superior courts|California superior court]] judge [[Aaron Persky]] of [[Santa Clara County, California|Santa Clara County]] over his sentencing decision in ''[[People v. Turner]]''<ref>{{cite news|title=Judge Persky likely to be recalled|first=Tracey|last=Kaplan|location=San Jose, California|work=[[The Mercury News]]|date=June 5, 2018|access-date=June 5, 2018|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/06/05/early-votes-brock-turner-judge-likely-to-be-booted-out-for-sentence-in-sexual-assault-case/}}</ref>
* 2018 recall of [[California Senate|California State Senator]] [[Josh Newman (politician)|Josh Newman]] over his vote to raise the gas tax<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/democrats-lose-california-state-senate-supermajority-after-recall-vote |title=Democrats lose California state senate supermajority after recall vote |publisher=Fox News |access-date=6 June 2018|date=2018-06-06 }}</ref>
*2020 recall of [[Santa Cruz, California]], city council members Chris Krohn and Drew Glover for workplace misconduct<ref name="2020SantaCruzRecall">{{cite news|url=https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2020/03/03/santa-cruz-early-mail-ballot-voters-take-stance-on-recall/|first=Jessica A.|last=York|title=Voting majority recalls Santa Cruz city councilmen|date=March 3, 2020|publisher=Santa Cruz Sentinel|access-date=June 6, 2020}}</ref>
*[[2022 San Francisco Board of Education recall elections|2022 recall]] of San Francisco Unified School District Commissioners Gabriela López, [[Alison Collins]], and Faauuga Moliga
*[[2022 San Francisco District Attorney recall election|2022 recall]] of [[San Francisco District Attorney's Office|San Francisco District Attorney]] [[Chesa Boudin]]
*2022 recall of [[Big Bear Lake, California]], city council member Alan Lee<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Alan_Lee_recall,_Big_Bear_Lake,_California_(2022) |title=Alan Lee recall, Big Bear Lake, California (2022) |publisher=Ballotpedia |date= |accessdate=2022-12-19}}</ref>
*2023 recall of [[Downey, California]], city council member Catherine Alvarez<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dominguez |first1=Alex |title=Councilwoman Catherine Alvarez recalled in a landslide |url=https://www.thedowneypatriot.com/articles/councilwoman-catherine-alvarez-recalled-in-a-landslide |access-date=February 1, 2023 |work=The Downey Patriot |date=January 31, 2023}}</ref>
*[[2024 Alameda County District Attorney recall election|2024 recall]] of [[Alameda County, California]], District Attorney [[Pamela Price]]
*[[2024 Oakland mayoral recall election|2024 recall]] of [[Oakland, California]], mayor [[Sheng Thao]]

===== Colorado =====
* 2012 recall of Melinda Myers, Clerk & Recorder of Saguache County, Colorado.
* [[Colorado recall election of 2013|2013 recall]] of Colorado [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] State Senator [[John Morse (Colorado politician)|John Morse]]<ref name="Morse&GironRecalled">{{cite news|author= Lynn Barels, Kurtis Lee and Joey Bunch| title=John Morse, Angela Giron ousted in historic Colorado recall election|url=http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24066168/colorado-senate-president-john-morse-recalled-angela-giron|date=September 10, 2013|newspaper=Denver Post|access-date=September 11, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Colorado recall election of 2013|2013 recall]] of Colorado [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] State Senator [[Angela Giron]]<ref name="Morse&GironRecalled" />
*2015 recall of three school board members in [[Jefferson County, Colorado|Jefferson County]], [[Colorado]]<ref name="coschoolrecall">Aguilar, John and Yesenia Robles. [http://www.denverpost.com/election/ci_29066338/jeffco-recall-election-brings-out-voters-dougco-school "Jeffco voters choose recall; incumbents losing in DougCo school race"], ''[[The Denver Post]]'', November 3, 2015. (accessed 8 November 2015)</ref>

===== Florida =====
*2011 recall of [[Carlos Alvarez (mayor)|Carlos Alvarez]], Mayor of [[Miami-Dade County, Florida]].
*2011 recall of Natacha Seijas, [[Miami-Dade County]] Commissioner. 
*2020 recall of Sebastian, Florida vice mayor Charles Mauti and city council members Damien Gilliams and Pamela Parris over allegations of malfeasance and alleged Sunshine Law violations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Election Results Archive|url=https://www.voteindianriver.com/electionresultsarchive|access-date=2020-09-16|website=www.voteindianriver.com}}</ref>

===== Idaho =====
*1916 recall of [[J. W. Robinson (Boise mayor)|J. W. Robinson]], Mayor of [[Boise, Idaho]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idahohistory.net/Reference%20Series/0047.pdf |title=Idaho State Historical Society Reference Series, Corrected List of Mayors, 1867-1996|access-date=2010-05-09}}</ref>

===== Iowa =====
*2023 recall of [[Warren County, Iowa|Warren County]] Auditor David Whipple<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rushing |first1=Ty |title=Iowa Voters Oust Conspiracy Theorist From County Elections Post - Iowa Starting Line |url=https://iowastartingline.com/2023/08/29/iowa-voters-oust-conspiracy-theorist-from-county-elections-post/ |access-date=30 August 2023 |work=Iowa Starting Line |date=30 August 2023}}</ref>

===== Louisiana =====
* 2013 recall of Deedy Slaughter, Mayor of [[Port Allen, Louisiana]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.wafb.com/story/23989019/port-allen-mayor-deedy-slaughter-recalled|author=WAFB Staff|title=Port Allen Mayor Deedy Slaughter recalled|publisher=WAFB|date=November 16, 2013|access-date=November 18, 2013|author-link=WAFB}}</ref>

===== Maine =====
*2013 recall of six of the seven city council members in [[Old Orchard Beach, Maine]]<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 11, 2013|title=Maine election results: Old Orchard recalls 6 councilors, Rockland-area, Auburn reject school budgets|work=[[Bangor Daily News]]|url=https://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/11/news/bangor/maine-local-election-results-rockland-area-rejects-school-budget-old-orchard-recalls-6-councilors/|access-date=August 31, 2021}}</ref>

===== Maryland =====
* 2018 recall of [[Bowie, Maryland]], city councilwoman Diane Polangin, over her vote to approve a controversial development project located in her district<ref>{{cite news|last=McNamara|first=John|date=March 12, 2018|title=Woolfley wins big in Bowie District 2 special election|url=http://www.capitalgazette.com/bowie_bladenews/ac-bb-election-0313-story.html|work=The Bowie Blade-News|access-date=March 13, 2018|archive-date=March 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313072101/http://www.capitalgazette.com/bowie_bladenews/ac-bb-election-0313-story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===== Massachusetts =====
*2014 recall of [[Fall River, Massachusetts]] Mayor William A. Flanagan
*2015 recall of four selectmen in [[Saugus, Massachusetts]]

===== Michigan =====
*1983 recall of Michigan state senators [[Philip Mastin|Phil Mastin]] and David Serotkin due to their support for a state income tax hike. Loss of these two Democratic lawmakers, along with two special elections won by Republicans, flipped the state senate to GOP control, where it remained until the 2022 Michigan elections.
*2002 recall of [[Woodrow Stanley]], mayor of [[Flint, Michigan]].
* 2011 recall of Michigan State Representative [[Paul H. Scott|Paul Scott]]
* 2012 recall of Janice Daniels, mayor of [[Troy, Michigan]]<ref name="Troy MI Recall Results">{{cite news|title=RECALLED: Troy Mayor Janice Daniels Voted Out of Office|url=http://troy.patch.com/articles/troy-mayor-janice-daniels-recall-election|newspaper=Troy Patch|date=November 7, 2012|access-date=November 7, 2012}}</ref>
* 2023 recall of Stephanie Scott, Clerk of [[Adams Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan|Adams Township, Hillsdale County]]<ref name="adams-twp-recall">{{cite news |last1=Murray |first1=Corey |title=Adams Township supervisor, clerk ousted in recall election |url=https://www.hillsdale.net/story/news/politics/elections/local/2023/05/02/adams-township-supervisor-clerk-ousted-recall-election/70169196007/ |access-date=May 3, 2023 |work=[[Hillsdale Daily News]] |date=May 2, 2023}}</ref>
* 2023 recall of Mark Nichols, Supervisor of [[Adams Township, Hillsdale County, Michigan|Adams Township, Hillsdale County]]<ref name="adams-twp-recall" />

===== Minnesota =====
* 2022 recall of [[Two Harbors, Minnesota|Two Harbors]] mayor Chris Swanson<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-10 |title=86% of voters vote to recall Two Harbors mayor |url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/unofficial-results-86-of-in-person-voters-vote-to-recall-two-harbors-mayor |access-date=2022-08-10 |website=Duluth News Tribune |language=en}}</ref>

===== Nebraska =====
*1987 recall of [[Mike Boyle]], Mayor of [[Omaha, Nebraska]].

===== New Jersey =====
*1994 recall of officials in [[River Vale, New Jersey]]: Mayor Walter Jones, Councilwoman Patricia Geier, and Councilman Bernard Salmon<ref>{{cite news|title=River Vale Recall Vote Offers Two Slates Split by 911 Issue|last=James|first=Michael S.|date=July 22, 1994|work=The Bergen Record}}</ref>
*2018 recall of [[Mahwah, New Jersey]], mayor William Laforet.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Pries|first=Allison|date=Jan 29, 2019|title=Controversial mayor ousted in recall vote|work=[[NJ.com]]|url=https://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2018/11/mahwah_mayor_recall.html|url-status=live|access-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108112526/https://www.nj.com/bergen/2018/11/mahwah_mayor_recall.html|archive-date=Nov 8, 2020}}</ref>

===== North Dakota =====
*[[1921 North Dakota gubernatorial recall election|1921 recall]] of [[Lynn Frazier]], [[Governor of North Dakota]]

===== Ohio =====
*2016 recall of Mayor and City Council President in [[East Cleveland, Ohio|East Cleveland]], [[Ohio]]<ref name="eastclevelandrecall">Morice, Jane [http://www.cleveland.com/east-cleveland/index.ssf/2016/12/east_cleveland_recall_election.html "East Cleveland mayor, City Council president recalled in special election"], ''[[cleveland.com]]'', December 6, 2016. (accessed 13 December 2016)</ref>
*2010 recall of Jane Murray, Mayor of [[Portsmouth, Ohio]]

===== Oregon =====
*2011 recall of Neal Knight, Mayor of [[Cornelius, Oregon]], and city councilors Mari Gottwald and Jamie Minshall, less than a year after their election, due to unhappiness over their votes to fire the city manager.<ref name="Cornelius, OR, recall">{{cite news|last=Fuller|first=Kathy|title=Cornelius voters oust 'Team 3' from office|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/argus/index.ssf/2011/09/cornelius_voters_oust_team_3_f.html|newspaper=Hillsboro Argus|location=[[Hillsboro, Oregon|Hillsboro, OR]]|date=September 30, 2011|access-date=October 4, 2011}}</ref>
*2008 recall of Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, Mayor of [[Arlington, Oregon]].
*2018 recall of [[Toledo, Oregon]], mayor Billie Jo Smith and two City Council members over allegations of malfeasance, wrongful termination of city employees, and conducting city business at secret meetings<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.newslincolncounty.com/archives/208050 | title=A recall sweep in Toledo: Mayor and two councilors removed from office – News Lincoln County | access-date=2018-09-13 | archive-date=2018-09-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913185328/http://www.newslincolncounty.com/archives/208050 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

===== Texas =====
*1996 recall of Carrollton Texas Mayor Gary Blanscet and council members Linda Caldwell, Bernis Francis, Stan Hampton, Bob Novinsky, Bert Colter, and Stan Sewell.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
*2011 recall of multiple [[Killeen, Texas]], elected city officials including Mayor Pro Tem Scott Cosper and four city council members.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
*2019 recall of [[Rusk, Texas]], city council members Jan Pate and Ken Ferrara for conduct unbecoming of a council member<ref>{{Cite news|date=May 8, 2019|title=The Cherokeean Herald|pages=5A|work=|url=https://www.thecherokeean.com/editions/257/view/5350/ch_2019-05-08_5350.pdf|access-date=September 9, 2021}}</ref>
*2020 recall of [[McKinney, Texas]], city council member La'shadion Shemwell for conduct unbecoming of a council member<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/La%27Shadion_Shemwell_recall,_McKinney,_Texas_(2020) |title=La'Shadion Shemwell recall, McKinney, Texas (2020) |work=Ballotpedia |date= |accessdate=2022-08-01}}</ref>

===== Virginia =====
*1987 recall of [[James W. Holley, III|James Holley]], Mayor of [[Portsmouth, Virginia]]
*2010 recall of [[James W. Holley, III|James Holley]], Mayor of [[Portsmouth, Virginia]].

===== Washington =====
*1911 recall of [[Hiram Gill]], Mayor of [[Seattle, Washington]]<ref>Burton J. Hendrick, "The 'Recall' in Seattle', ''[[McClure's]]'', October 1911, p. 647–663.</ref>
*2005 recall of [[James E. West (politician)|James E. West]], Mayor of [[Spokane, Washington]].
*2014 recall of Mayor Marilynn Lynn of Bridgeport, WA

===== Wisconsin =====
*1977 recall of County Judge Archie Simonson, Madison, Wisconsin
*1977 recall of five members of the La Crosse School Board, [[La Crosse, Wisconsin]]<ref>'Recall vote removed five in La Crosse,' '''Racine Journal Times,''' August 3, 1977, pg. 7A</ref>
*1992 recall of four members of the La Crosse School Board<ref>'La Crosse removes 4 School Board members,' '''Milwaukee Journal,''' July 15, 1992, pg. A13</ref>
*1996 recall of [[Wisconsin Senate|Wisconsin State Senator]] [[George Petak]]<ref name="state1">{{cite web |url=http://www.legis.state.wi.us/LRB/gw/gw_13.pdf |title=State.wi.us |access-date=2010-05-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209005806/http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/gw/gw_13.pdf |archive-date=2006-12-09 }}</ref>
*2002 recall of multiple [[Milwaukee County, Wisconsin]], elected county officials including Executive [[Tom Ament|F. Thomas Ament]] (resigned before election); Board Chair [[Karen Ordinans]]; and Board Supervisors Penny Podell, LeAnn Launstein, David Jasenski, Kathy Arciszewski, James McGuigan, and Linda Ryan.  All were recalled due to a retirement pension controversy.<ref>[http://www.legis.state.wi.us/LRB/gw/gw_13.pdf State.wi.us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209005806/http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lrb/gw/gw_13.pdf |date=2006-12-09 }}, Wisconsin Constitution Article XIII, section 12</ref>
*2003 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Gary George (Wisconsin politician)|Gary George]]<ref name="state1"/>
*[[2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections|2011 recall]] of Wisconsin State Senator [[Randy Hopper]]
*2011 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Dan Kapanke]]
* 2012 recall of [[Bob Ryan (mayor)|Bob Ryan]], Mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin<ref name="Sheboygan, WI, recall">{{cite news|title=Sheboygan mayoral recall: Mayor Bob Ryan ousted from office by challenger Terry Van Akkeren|url=http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20120222/SHE0104/120221205/Van-Akkeren-wins-ousts-incumbent-Ryan-historic-mayoral-recall-election|newspaper=Sheboygan Press|location=[[Sheboygan, Wisconsin|Sheboygan, WI]]|date=February 21, 2012|access-date=February 22, 2012|archive-date=February 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225030205/http://www.sheboyganpress.com/article/20120222/SHE0104/120221205/Van-Akkeren-wins-ousts-incumbent-Ryan-historic-mayoral-recall-election|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 2012 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Van H. Wanggaard]]<ref name="Wisconsin Recall Results">{{cite news|title=Wisconsin June 5 recall election results|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/june-5-recall-election-results-155977565.html|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel|date=June 6, 2012|access-date=June 10, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606014703/http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/june-5-recall-election-results-155977565.html |archive-date= June 6, 2012 }}</ref>

==== Unsuccessful recalls ====
*1932 recall election of Wisconsin State Senator [[Otto Mueller (Wisconsin politician)|Otto Mueller]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/recall-of-state-officials.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708001052/http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=16581|url-status=dead|title=Recall of State Officials|archive-date=July 8, 2011|website=NCSL }}</ref>
*[[1978 Cleveland recall election|1978 recall]] of Cleveland Mayor [[Dennis Kucinich]]
* 1982 recall of Grant County, Wisconsin Judge William L. Reinecke<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/05/11/A-judge-haunted-by-five-ill-chosen-words-about-a/7571389937600/ |first1=Richard P. |last1=Jones |date=May 11, 1982 |title=A judge haunted by five ill-chosen words about a...|work=UPI|access-date=2018-06-09|language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143650/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1982/05/11/A-judge-haunted-by-five-ill-chosen-words-about-a/7571389937600/ |archive-date=  June 12, 2018 }}</ref>
*1983 recall of [[San Francisco Mayor]] [[Dianne Feinstein]]
*1990 recall of Wisconsin State Assemblyman [[Jim Holperin]]
*2008 recall of [[California State Senate|California State Senator]] [[Jeff Denham]]
*2008 recall of [[Michigan House of Representatives]] Speaker [[Andy Dillon]]
*2009 recall of [[San Jose City Council|San Jose, California City Council]] member [[Madison Nguyen]]
*2009 recall of [[Akron, Ohio|Akron]] Mayor [[Don Plusquellic]]
*2010 recall of Mayor [[Doug Isaacson]] in [[North Pole, Alaska]]
*2010 recall of Mayor [[Anthony R. Suarez]] in [[Ridgefield, New Jersey]]
*2011 recall of [[Omaha| Omaha, Nebraska]] Mayor [[Jim Suttle]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Holmes |first1=Mike |title=Suttle survives recall |url=https://omaha.com/article/20110125/news01/110129780/ |website=Omaha World-Herald |date=January 26, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129082423/https://omaha.com/article/20110125/news01/110129780/ |access-date=7 July 2021|archive-date=2011-01-29 }}</ref>
*2011 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Dave Hansen (politician)|Dave Hansen]]
*2011 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Robert Cowles]]
*2011 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Sheila Harsdorf]]
*2011 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Luther Olsen]]
*2011 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Alberta Darling]]
*2011 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Robert Wirch]]
*2011 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Jim Holperin]]
*[[2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election|2012 recall]] of Wisconsin Governor [[Scott Walker (politician)|Scott Walker]]
*[[2012 Wisconsin lieutenant gubernatorial recall election|2012 recall]] of Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor [[Rebecca Kleefisch]]
*2012 recall of [[Wisconsin]] State Senator [[Scott L. Fitzgerald]]
*2012 recall of Wisconsin State Senator [[Terry Moulton]]
*2013 recall of La Crosse, Wisconsin City Council President Audrey Kader
*2014 recall of [[Port Orford, Oregon]] Mayor Jim Aubornn
*[[2017 Flint mayoral recall election|2017 recall]] of [[Flint, Michigan]], mayor [[Karen Weaver]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/elections/2017/11/07/flint-mayor-recall-election/107445794/|title=Flint Mayor Weaver wins recall election|date=November 8, 2017|access-date=December 24, 2018|work=[[The Detroit News]]|first=Michael|last=Gerstein}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/07/us/mayor-atlanta-boston-detroit.html|title=Elections Roundup: Incumbents Fare Well in Boston, Detroit and Flint|date=November 7, 2017|access-date=December 24, 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
*[[2021 California gubernatorial recall election|2021 recall]] of [[Gavin Newsom]], [[Governor of California]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ronayne|first1=Kathleen|last2=Blood|first2=Michael R.|date=2021-09-14|title=California Gov. Gavin Newsom stays in power as recall fails|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-california-climate-elections-a590782877be099d44f1766b2d138394|access-date=2021-09-14|website=Associated Press|language=en}}</ref>

Note: Wisconsin's Jim Holperin has the distinction of being the only U.S. politician to have been subjected to recall from service in two different legislative bodies: the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1990 and the Wisconsin State Senate in 2011. Both attempts were unsuccessful.<ref>The Milwaukee Journal, April 4, 1990; {{cite web |url-status=dead |url=http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/2011/recall/july-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130821212550/http://gab.wi.gov/elections-voting/2011/recall/july-19 |archive-date=2013-08-21 |access-date=2013-11-16|title=July 19, August 16, 2011 Recall Elections |website= Government Accountability Board }}</ref>

==== Unsuccessful attempts to qualify recall elections ====
* 1967 [[United States Senator]] [[Frank Church]] of [[Idaho]] was the subject of an unsuccessful recall effort.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://library.boisestate.edu/special/church/CHURCH1.HTM |first1= R. Gwenn |last1=Stearn |date=17 March 2006 |website=Albertsons Library, Boise State University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210191235/http://library.boisestate.edu/special/church/CHURCH1.HTM|url-status=dead|title=Frank Church Chronology|archive-date=February 10, 2009}}</ref> Courts ruled that a federal official is not subject to state recall laws.
* 1988 [[Evan Mecham]], Governor of [[Arizona]], was scheduled for a recall election on May 17 of that year, after a successful petition drive (301,000 signatures).  However, the Supreme Court of Arizona canceled the election, since Mecham had already been removed from office (via impeachment conviction) by the Senate on April 4.<ref>{{cite news |title=Arizona's Supreme Court Blocks A Special Gubernatorial Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/13/us/arizona-s-supreme-court-blocks-a-special-gubernatorial-election.html |pages=A20:1 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 13, 1988}}</ref>
*1992–93 [[Pete Wilson]], Governor of [[California]] was targeted for recall by the ''[[Bite 'Em Back]]'' campaign, which was a [[grassroots]] effort that came about as a result of a piece by ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]'' [[columnist]] [[San Jose Mercury News West Magazine|Pat Dillon]], in response to the then-ongoing California budgetary crisis.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://titanyearbook.com/archives/1992/1992-11-18.pdf |journal =Daily Titan |title=Group asks for Wilson's recall |first1=Matt |last1=Cliff |date=November 18, 1992 |access-date=June 18, 2011 |volume=57 |issue=43 |via=Titan Yearbook |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831055440/http://titanyearbook.com/archives/1992/1992-11-18.pdf |archive-date= 2011-08-31}}</ref><ref>''Los Angeles Times'', "[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-04-me-780-story.html Valley College:  Wilson Recall Campaign Started]", by Jennifer Case (October 4, 1992 - retrieved on June 19, 2011).</ref> The ''Bite 'Em Back'' campaign also intended to recall then-[[List of Speakers of the California State Assembly|Speaker]] of the [[California State Assembly|Assembly]] [[Willie Brown (politician)|Willie L. Brown]], and then-[[President pro tempore of the California State Senate|President Pro Tem]] of the [[California State Senate|state Senate]], [[David Roberti]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}
*2003 [[H. Brent Coles]], mayor of Boise, Idaho, was the subject of a recall petition drive. Coles resigned on February 14, 2003, before the recall drive could proceed.<ref name="coles">[https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/15/us/charged-with-getting-free-olympics-trip-boise-mayor-resigns.html "Charged With Getting Free Olympics Trip, Boise Mayor Resigns"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', February 15, 2003. Accessed 8 November 2015.</ref>
*2009 [[Joseph Cao]] [[U.S. representative]] for [[Louisiana's 2nd congressional district]], was determined to be not subject to recall because of his status as a [[Federal government of the United States|Federal]] office holder.
*2009 a petition failed to garner sufficient signatures to oblige an election for [[Eddie Price III#Failure of recall petition|recall of Eddie Price III]], mayor of [[Mandeville, Louisiana]].
*2009 a petition for [[Malcolm Suber|recall of Stacy Head]], [[New Orleans]] city councilwoman, likewise failed to gain the requisite number of signatures.
*2010 there were two unsuccessful recall petitions for [[Sam Adams (Oregon politician)|Sam Adams]] mayor of [[Portland, OR]].
*2010 there was one unsuccessful recall petition for [[Lisa Poppaw]] city council member of [[Fort Collins, CO]].
*2010 there was one unsuccessful recall petition for [[Antonio Villaraigosa]] mayor of [[Los Angeles]].
*2010, a recall proposal aimed at mayor [[Ron Littlefield]] of [[Chattanooga, Tennessee]], failed after a judge of the [[Hamilton County, Tennessee]] [[circuit court]] ruled that too many of the petition signatures were invalid and that the petitioners had failed to properly adhere to the state's recall law, leaving "pages without dates".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chattanoogan.com/articles/article_183480.asp |title= Judge Rules For Mayor Littlefield In Recall Case |date=September 7, 2010 |website=chattanoogan.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100909153937/http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_183480.asp |archive-date=2010-09-09}}</ref>
*2011, the [[Tennessee Court of Appeals]] ruled in November that the Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge [[Jeff Hollingsworth]] did not have the jurisdiction in entering an injunction against the Hamilton County Election Commission. In its judgment summary the Appeals Court said, "The trial court acted without jurisdiction in entering an injunction against the Election Commission. The judgment of the trial court is vacated and the complaint dismissed." Mayor Littlefield is continuing legal action to stop the recall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_212673.asp |title= Appeal Court Rules For Recall Group In Littlefield Case |date=November 3, 2011 |website=www.chattanoogan.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111104221419/http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_212673.asp |archive-date=2011-11-04}}</ref>
*2011, as part of the [[2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections]], there were a number of failed recall petitions.  Petitions against senators [[Lena Taylor]] (D), [[Spencer Coggs]] (D), [[Mark F. Miller|Mark Miller]] (D), [[Glenn Grothman]] (R), [[Julie Lassa]] (D), [[Fred Risser]] (D), and [[Mary Lazich]] (R), were unsuccessful.  Many senators had multiple recall petitions filed against them, and in the case of both Wirch and Hansen, one succeeded while others failed.
*2011, an effort to recall [[Governor of Michigan|Michigan Governor]] [[Rick Snyder]] was ended after organizers did not obtain enough petition signatures to appear on the ballot.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2011/09/report_effort_to_recall_michig.html  |website=mlive | title=Report: Effort to recall Michigan governor fizzles| date=2011-09-29}}</ref>
*2011, a petition to recall Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction [[Tom Luna]] failed to obtain the necessary signatures to force a recall election.<ref name="TomLuna">[http://www.idahopress.com/news/tom-luna-reacts-to-failure-of-recall-efforts/article_2a97e512-a14f-11e0-8afc-001cc4c03286.html "Tom Luna reacts to failure of recall efforts"], Bryan Dooley, ''[[The Idaho Press-Tribune]]'', June 28, 2011</ref>
*2011, an attempt to prompt recall election of [[Trenton, New Jersey]], mayor [[Tony F. Mack]] failed to obtain enough support.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2011/11/committee_to_recall_mayor_mack.html | title=Committee to recall Mayor Mack fails to collect 9,860 needed signatures to force special election| date=2011-11-15}}</ref>
*2011 recall of Alaska State Representative [[Kyle Johansen]], rejected by the state's Division of Elections on October 10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.krbd.org/2011/10/11/recall-application-rejected/|title=''KRBD,'' "Recall application rejected," October 11, 2011|access-date=June 6, 2012|archive-date=April 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418153334/http://www.krbd.org/2011/10/11/recall-application-rejected/|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Republicans in his district sponsored the recall when Johansen and fellow representative [[Charisse Millett]] left the House's majority caucus in a dispute over Johansen's role in the 27th Legislature.  In 2012, Johansen ran for reelection as an independent and lost by a wide margin;  Millett was reelected.
*2017: In [[Loveland, Ohio]], Mayor Mark Fitzgerald resigned under pressure from a recall effort, and a move to replace him was declared invalid, leaving the city with no mayor for several months.<ref name="WLWT no mayor">{{cite web|title=Loveland Has No Mayor|publisher=[[WLWT-TV]]|date=August 18, 2017|url=http://www.wlwt.com/article/loveland-solicitor-city-has-no-mayor/12029494}}</ref>
*2019: [[Kate Brown]], Governor of [[Oregon]], was the subject of a recall petition due to her support of [[Oregon House Bill 2020]] which also resulted in the [[2019 Oregon Senate Republican walkouts]].
*2020: [[Norman, Oklahoma]] Mayor and four of the eight city councilmembers were the subject of unsuccessful recall initiatives spearheaded by a local{{citation needed span|reason=citations don't support the assertion that this was a white nationalist group or hate group.|chapter of [[White nationalist]]s in response to people of color speaking|date=September 2022}} at a public City Council meeting.<ref name="okiehategroup">{{cite web|title=Mayor and city council recall, Norman, Oklahoma (2020-2021)|publisher=[[ballotpedia.org]]|date=August 24, 2021|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Mayor_and_city_council_recall,_Norman,_Oklahoma_(2020-2021)}}</ref>

=== Venezuela ===
Article 72 of the [[Constitution of Venezuela]] enables the recall of any elected representative, including the President. This provision was used in the [[2004 Venezuelan recall referendum]], which attempted to remove President [[Hugo Chávez]]:

:<u>Article 72</u>: All <nowiki>[...]</nowiki> offices filled by popular vote are subject to revocation.
:Once one-half of the term of office to which an official has been elected has elapsed, a number of voters representing at least 20% of the registered voters in the affected constituency may petition for the calling of a referendum to revoke that official's mandate.
:When a number of voters equal to or greater than the number of those who elected the official vote in favour of the recall, provided that a number of voters equal to or greater than 25% of the total number of registered voters vote in the recall referendum, the official's mandate shall be deemed revoked and immediate action shall be taken to fill the permanent vacancy as provided for by this Constitution and by law.

The 2004 recall referendum failed with 59.25% voting against removing Chavez from office.<ref>Consejo Nacional Electoral. {{in lang|es}} [http://www.cne.gov.ve/referendum_presidencial2004/ Chávez Ratificado Con el 58 Por Ciento de los votos] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527022017/http://www.cne.gov.ve/referendum_presidencial2004/ |date=27 May 2010 }}, 16 August 2004.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Popular initiative|Initiative]]
* [[Legislative referral]]
* [[Motion of no confidence]]
* [[Off-year election]]
* [[Popular referendum]]
* [[Snap election]]

==Bibliography==
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=23tBFmXLxAMC&pg=PP1 SANTANA, Alexander. ''O direito de revogação do mandato político representativo.'' Curitiba, 2004. 146 f. Monografia (Graduação em Direito) - Setor de Ciências Jurídicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná.] (wrote in [[Brazilian Portuguese]]) English Title: ''The right of recall elected officials.''
*[http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/briefing-papers/SN05089/recall-elections Recall elections in the United Kingdom]
*WELP, Yanina. "Recall referendum around the world: origins, institutional designs and current debates", in Morel, Laurence & Qvortrup, Matt. ''[https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-to-Referendums-and-Direct-Democracy/Morel-Qvortrup/p/book/9781138209930 The Routledge Handbook to Referendums and Direct Democracy]''. London: Routledge, 2018.

==References==
{{reflist}}

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[[Category:Recall elections| ]]
[[Category:Right to petition]]
[[Category:Referendums]]