Essay:Why Recall Elections Are Essential

A recall election is a special election resulting from a petition drive by the people to "recall" or fire a public official. Conceptually it is analogous to a master firing a servant. Typically the recall election requires a massive number of signatures (for example, 25% of all registered voters in New Jersey) and a majority vote in the special election. On the same day a replacement is chosen by the voters, and often (including New Jersey) the recalled official may be candidate for the election to replace him.

The justifications for recall elections range from the philosophical to the practical:

• public officials are public servants, meaning they serve at the whim of the master (the people)
• recall elections provide greater accountability, which is desirable
• without a recall mechanism, there is no check and balance on contempt by the public official for the people
• without a recall mechanism, there is no way for the people to deal with an incapacitated official who refuses to resign
• recall elections have been very successful when used, as in recalling a California Chief Justice (Bird) and Governor (Davis), and a corrupt North Dakota Governor (in 1921)
• recall elections are the only meaningful deterrent against lying by candidates during campaigns, or candidates switching parties after election

In 2010, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) sponsored a Voters’ Bill of Rights package ("HJR 71") to support and expand a recall mechanism for congressmen.