Let's Look at House Bill 212
The bill we hope you'll support by both email and in a trip to the Capitol
Our friends at Home Defense Foundation have stepped up to the plate to work toward passing House Bill 212, regarding the rules for efforts to recall elected officials.
Let’s look at the text of the bill so we all know what we’re supporting.
See it all here at the Louisiana legislature website.
But for ease, stay with us and let’s look together…
To amend and reenact R.S. 18:1300.2(B) and (C)(1), 1300.3(A), 1300.7(A), and 1300.8(B), relative to recall elections; to provide for the number of signatures required on a petition for a recall election; to provide for the duties of the governor; to provide for the duties of the secretary of state; to provide for the duties of the registrar of voters; and to provide for related matters.
It continues…
All signatures on recall petitions shall be handwritten. The petition shall be signed by a percentage of the total number of electors of the voting area wherein and for which a recall election is petitioned.
The bill then states the various percentages of voters who most recently voted - not the number of overall generally qualified electors. In other words, a successful recall would not require potentially more voters for the recall than voted for the candidate.
For example:
If one hundred thousand or more qualified electors reside within the voting area, the petition shall be signed by at least twenty percent of the number of electors who voted in the contest electing the public official to his office.
The role of the governor is outlined:
If the required number of qualified electors of the voting area sign the petition for recall, the governor shall issue a proclamation ordering an election to be held for the purpose of voting on the question of the recall of the officer.
This sums it up:
Abstract: Provides that the number of electors required to sign a recall petition shall be a percentage of the number of electors who voted in the contest electing the public official to his office, or if the public official was elected without opposition, the number of electors in the voting area who voted in the most recent election for an office that encompassed the voting area.
Present law provides that a petition to recall an elected official shall be signed by a percentage of the total number of electors of the voting area wherein and for which a recall election is petitioned.
Present law further provides that if fewer than 1,000 qualified electors reside within the voting area, the petition shall be signed by at least 40% of the electors. If 1,000 or more but fewer than 25,000 qualified electors reside within the voting area, the petition shall be signed by at least 33 1/3% percent of the electors. If 25,000 or more but fewer than 100,000 qualified electors reside within the voting area, the petition shall be signed by at least 25% of the electors. If 100,000 or more qualified electors reside within the voting area, the petition shall be signed by at least 20% of the electors.
Proposed law retains the present law percentages in each population range, but changes the number the percentage is based upon from the number of qualified electors in the voting area to the number of electors who voted in the contest electing the public official to his office.
We hope you’ll join us in support of this effort.
