Recall election

A recall is the right of a number of voters to bring about an urn decision on the dismissal of an elected public official during his term of office.

A recall is usually counted among the instruments of direct democracy and the councils, although this people right in fact relates to the representative democracy. He is allowed:

• In certain states of the USA
• In the Canadian province of British Columbia
• In Venezuela and on the state level
• In the prefectures and municipalities of Japan
• In certain cantons of Switzerland, in which, however, not certain officials, but always an entire institution may be removed ( See also: dismissal )
• In Bavaria, where a referendum on the dismissal of the Diet may be requested

USA

Operation on the example California

For a desire to recall a public official ( for example, a popularly elected judge ) 10% to 30 % of those votes are required depending on the office, which were issued in the last election for that office. To deselect the Governor, this proportion is 12%. The reasons for the recall are indicated on the signature sheets, the incumbent may add an answer.

If the petition is successful, a ballot shall be held, in which an absolute majority of the votes cast dismisses the incumbent. Same time, other candidates may be elected by relative majority. There are no minimum participation in the ballot, but the voter turnout is usually very high for recalls.

Distribution in the USA

In 18 states in the U.S., the deselection of elected officials at the level of the state is permissible in some other only at the local level. In terms of regional distribution is striking that there is a recall almost exclusively in westerly States. On the federal level there is no recall, nor with the senators, because they are chosen according to federal law.

Historical in the U.S.

The first legal regulations for a recall, there were 1903 in Los Angeles, at the level of a federal state in 1908 in Oregon. Since then, over 5000 recalls took place in the U.S., most at the local level. Prior to 2003, a governor in the U.S. was once voted out with a recall: the pacifist Lynn Frazier in 1921 as Governor of North Dakota.

Recall in 2003 in California

2003, the Governor of California Gray Davis was replaced by the Democrats by the Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. Until then there had been in California 117 attempts at recall appointments on the federal government level, in 7 of which it came to the ballot, all were unsuccessful.

Recall in 2004 in Venezuela

In 2004 it came to the world's first attempt to have a head of state deselect prematurely by the people. The Recall against Hugo Chávez, the president of Venezuela, which stood at 41% of the votes cast, however, clearly a majority.