Governor Newsom survives recall vote in California
Summary
On September 14, Californians went to the polls as part of a recall effort organized by opponents of the state's current governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom. In California, a recall vote — a vote to remove and replace the current governor — can be triggered with petition signatures that equal to 12% of the state's number of voters from the last election for governor. Newsom was able to hold onto the governorship, with
voters choosing not to recall the governor by an over 30 percent margin
.
Five Facts
Who
is Gavin Newsom and what is his elected role?
What
is a recall vote?
When
is a recall vote triggered in California?
Why
did Newsom's opponents argue he should be recalled, according to this piece?
How
does the California recall vote work, according to this piece (that is, how is a winner determined)?
Focus Questions
Do you think more politicians in powerful positions should be subject to recall votes? What are the pros and cons of making recalls available to voters?
Media literacy:
Why do you think the producers chose to lead with voters who helped organize the recall vote — opponents of the current governor?
For More
Read
this AP story
on how both supporters and opponents of the recall attempted to appeal to voters of color. These strategies may anticipate local and national political campaigns in the coming years.
