Recall elections are an important direct democracy tool for Californians, giving voters a direct check upon the performance of their elected officials. But the state’s recall process has inherent design flaws.

• Allow the recall question to be decided upon its own merits, by holding a stand-alone recall election. 

• Hold the replacement election at a later date, only if the stand-alone recall succeeds. Start then with a clean field of candidates, who enter the race once they know that the sitting elected official has been recalled.This would remove the current disincentive for strong candidates from the incumbent’s party to run in the replacement election, because their presence as an alternative could give more reason to vote for the recall.

• Use ranked-choice voting to elect the candidate to replace the recalled official, ensuring the winner receives a majority of the vote.

Another way to reform the recall: Ranked Choice Voting
By Michael Feinstein, Special to CalMatters. December 6, 2021
Ranked Choice Voting: A Better Way to Reform the Recall
By Michael Feinstein. San Francisco Examiner. December 8, 2021 (reprinted from CalMatters)

A Green Argument Against This Recall, But Not Others
Why California should retain its recall process, but amend it to make it more democratic, with more voter choice
By Michael Feinstein. Independent Voter Network. September 13, 2021

Dismissing Voter Choice No Way to Win Recall Election
By Dan Kapelovitz and Michael Feinstein. LA Progressive, August 21, 2021

Opinion:  Will voters in state Senate District 29 recall representative democracy?
By Michael Feinstein. Orange County Register. May 19, 2018