Friday, January 2, 2009

Amendments to recall petition, section 6

Section 6 sets the method and standard for the actual recall election and is proposed as,

SECTION 6. Ballots used in a recall election shall submit the following propositions in the order indicated:

FOR THE RECALL OF (NAME OF OFFICER).

AGAINST THE RECALL OF (NAME OF OFFICER).

Immediately at the right of each proposition there shall be a square in which a voter, by marking a cross mark (X), or by indicating his intentions by suitable mechanical means, may vote for either of said propositions. Under the propositions shall appears the word -Candidates-, the directions to the voters required by section forty-two of chapter fifty-four of the General Laws and, beneath this, the names of candidates nominated in accordance with the provisions of law relating to elections. If two-thirds of the votes cast upon the question of recall is in the affirmative, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. If more than one-third of the votes on the question are in the negative, the ballots for candidates need not be counted.


In order to clarify the procedure, I suggest that the propositions be phrased as follows:

For the removal of (Name of the official) from the office of (name of the office)

Against the removal of (Name of the official) from the office of (name of the office)

Immediately at the right of each proposition there shall be a square in which a voter, by marking a cross mark (X), or by indicating his intentions by suitable mechanical means, may vote for either of said propositions.
Under the propositions shall appears the words -Candidates to succeed (Name of official) for (name of office)-, the directions to the voters required by section forty-two of chapter fifty-four of the General Laws and, beneath this, the names of candidates nominated in accordance with the provisions of law relating to elections.

I would also propose that the standard ...

...for success of the recall be revised to include,
If two-thirds of the votes cast upon the question of recall are for removal and not less than 30% of the registered voters of the town shall have voted in the recall election, the official subject to the recall election shall be removed from office in accordance with the provisions of Section 5. If less than two-thirds of the votes cast upon the question of recall are for removal or less than 30% of the registered voters of the town shall have voted in the recall election, the recall shall have failed.
If the official subject to the recall is removed from office, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.

What do you think?

No comments: