More than 1.6 million signatures have been verified as of Monday night, surpassing the 1.5 million minimum.
Proponents of the against Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom now have enough valid signatures to trigger a special election, according to California’s Secretary of State. As of Monday,1,626,042 signatures have been validated, surpassing the 1,495,709 needed per state law. More than 2.1 million signatures were submitted, and county elections officials have until Thursday, April 29, to issue a final report on signatures. There is then a 30-business day window for voters to request their signatures to be removed from the recall petition. More than 130,000 removals would be needed to prevent the recall. After a review by the state’s Department of Finance on election costs, and another round of certification from the Secretary of State, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis will set a date for a special recall election, likely sometime in the fall. „The People of California have done what the politicians thought would be impossible,“ said Orrin Heatlie, one of the lead organizers for the recall effort.
