Sonoma County Recall Ravitch

Recall Ravitch - Majority Approval Required

[TRANSCRIPTION FROM SONOMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AGENDA PACKET FOR MAY 25, 2021, MEETING]

COUNTY OF SONOMA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA

Date: May 5, 2021

Item Number: _________________

Resolution Number: ___________________

Resolution Of The Board Of Supervisors Of The County of Sonoma, State Of California, Calling A Special Election On The Recall Of District Attorney Jill Ravitch

Whereas, on October 21, 2020, in accordance with California Elections Code (hereinafter ËC") §§11020-11021, proponents of recalling District Attorney (hereinafter “DA”) Jill Ravitch personally served her a copy of a notice of intention to recall; and

Whereas, on October 22, 2020, in accordance with EC §11021, proponents of Ms. Ravitch’s recall (hereinafter, “recall proponents”) filed with the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters (hereinafter “ROV”) Office the original notice of intention to recall along with proof Ms. Ravitch had been personally served the notice on the prior day; and

Whereas, on October 27, 2020, in accordance with EC §11023, Ms. Ravitch filed with the ROV Office her answer to the notice of intention to recall along with proof that a copy of her answer had been served to recall proponents by certified mail; and

Whereas, on October 29, 2020, in accordance with EC §11022, recall proponents published the notice of intention to recall in The Press Democrat, a newspaper of general circulation in Sonoma County; and

Whereas, on November 3, 2020, in accordance with EC §11042(b), recall proponents filed with the ROV Office two blank copies of the recall petition as well as proof of publication of the notice of intention to recall in The Press Democrat; and

Whereas, on November 9, 2020, the ROV Office, after reviewing the two blank copies of the recall petition, notified recall proponents by email that the form and wording of the petition did not meet all the EC §11043 requirements, and described which changes to the petition were necessary to rectify these issues; and

Whereas, on November 9, 2020, in accordance with EC §11042(c), recall proponents made corrections to the petition and filed with the ROV Office two new blank copies; and

Whereas, on November 10, 2020, in accordance with EC §§11042(c), 11220(a)(5), and 11221(a)(5), the ROV Office notified recall proponents by email that the corrected recall petition met all the EC requirements, that they could begin circulating the petition, and that they needed to obtain 30,056 valid signatures by April 19, 2021, in order to trigger a recall election; and

Whereas, on April 1, 2021, in accordance with EC §11222, recall proponents filed with the ROV Office 43,316 petition signatures on 2,694 sections; and

Whereas, on May 11, 2021, in accordance with EC §§11224-11225, the ROV Office finished examining every signature and informed recall proponents that 32,128 signatures were found to be valid and that, since this number was greater than the 30,056 valid signatures required, the petition was sufficient; and

Whereas, on May 18, 2021, in accordance with EC §11227, the ROV Office submitted a certificate of sufficiency of the recall petition to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors (hereinafter “BOS”), who in turn voted to accept the certificate and, in accordance with EC §11240, directed staff to return to the BOS within 14 days with a resolution ordering a recall election; and

Whereas, EC §11242 provides that a recall election of a local officer “shall be held not less than 88, nor more than 125, days after the issuance of the order”;

Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, That:

1. Pursuant to EC §§11240 and EC 12001, the BOS hereby calls a special election for September 14, 2021, to determine whether DA Jill Ravitch shall be recalled, and if the majority vote on the question is to recall, to elect a successor.

2. Pursuant to EC §11320, the question submitted to the voters shall be in the following form: 

1. Pursuant to EC §11322, under the recall question shall appear a second contest with the names of the candidates nominated to succeed Ms. Ravitch, including one blank line for the voter to write in a name not printed on the ballot.

2. Pursuant to EC §13113, the County Clerk shall immediately notify the Secretary of State of the recall election and request a randomized alphabet drawing to determine the order that candidates nominated to succeed Ms. Ravitch shall appear on the ballot.

3. Pursuant to EC §11381(b), the County Clerk shall set the nomination filing period for candidates in the successor contest.

4. Pursuant to EC §§11324-11325 and §11327, the County Clerk shall mail a voter information guide to every active, registered voter in Sonoma County, and the guide shall include:

   • The statement of reasons for the recall of Ms. Ravitch that appeared on the notice of intention to recall that was filed by the recall proponents.

   • Ms. Ravitch’s answer to the notice of intention to recall.

   • Ms. Ravitch’s statement of qualifications, if one is paid for and filed in accordance with EC §13307. 

   • Statements of qualifications of candidates nominated to succeed Ms. Ravitch, if they are paid for and filed in accordance with EC §13307.

     1. The County Clerk is hereby further directed to take the necessary and appropriate actions to provide the necessary election officers, polling places, and voting precincts.

     2. The polls for the election shall be open during the hours required by law and the election shall be held and conducted as provided by law for the holding of county elections.

     Supervisors:

     Gorin:
     Rabbitt:
     Coursey:
     Gore:
     Hopkins:

     Ayes:
     Noes:
     Absent:
     Abstain:

     So Ordered.