What makes California rife with recalls? First, all 19 states2 with official recall processes allow the recall of a governor, but only four — including California — hold nearly all public offices eligible for recall. Many states restrict recalls to include only elected positions or specific offices, or exclude certain judges from recall attempts. No public official serving the state of California is immune, as evidenced by the successful recall of Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky in 2018.

Secondly, California does not limit the grounds for recall. If, say, someone isn’t a fan of the state Supreme Court, that empowered resident could file 18 petitions to recall nine different justices in two years.3 With no required burden of proof, the first step to getting a recall on the ballot is as easy as filing some paperwork — unlike in some other states, which require an indictment or criminal conviction before a recall can even be considered.

Third, the state has a fairly low signature threshold. A petitioner seeking to recall a statewide official needs to collect signatures equal to 12 percent of the last vote for office (it’s a little higher for state legislators and judges), plus signatures equal to 1 percent of the last vote from at least five of California’s 58 counties. Compared with the other two states that require a geographic distribution of signatures, California’s threshold is relatively low. Georgia requires the recall position to have a minimum number of signatures from each of its 14 congressional districts, and Illinois requires signatures from at least 25 of its 102 counties.