Yes on Prop C: Improve Recall Elections

Prop C implements sensible reforms to the recall process in San Francisco.

The power of voters to recall an elected official is vital to democracy. When enough San Francisco residents agree that a representative acts in a way that conflicts with the duties of the office and contrary to the public good, we should be able to mount a grassroots effort to remove them from office. 

However, as we have seen in last year’s statewide effort to recall Governor Newsom and in the current effort to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, recall elections are being misused by deep-pocketed outside interests when they are unhappy with election results. 

And, currently when a San Francisco officeholder is removed by recall, it is the Mayor who chooses their replacement – giving the Mayor’s office outsized influence over who holds positions of power in the city. 

Prop C addresses these issues in several ways. First, it narrows the window of when recall elections can happen. Currently, anyone in office for 6 months can be subject to a recall. Prop C extends that to one year, meaning officeholders serve for 12 months before they can be recalled.

Second, Prop C prohibits a recall petition if the recall election would be within 12 months of a regular election for the office. This prevents off-cycle elections, which often have low voter turnout, when a regularly scheduled one is coming up within a year. This change will reduce expensive one-off elections and promote higher voter engagement when a recall is on the ballot.

Third, Prop C will prohibit an official who is appointed as a result of a recall election from running for the office in the next election. This eliminates recall elections from being used to oust officeholders so they can be replaced by Mayoral appointees who may then have an advantage in the next election. In other words, this change reduces a recall proponent’s ability to get a second bite at the apple because they did not like the outcome of the previous election. 

It’s important to note that passage of Prop C will not impact rules for removal due to official misconduct or ethics violations. Those existing mechanisms would remain in place. Therefore, elected officials will still be able to be held accountable for misconduct or ethics violations. 

Prop C establishes additional guardrails to protect democratic processes while preserving public officials’ accountability to voters. We recommend a Yes vote on Prop C to improve the recall process in San Francisco.