Illinois Voters Approve Governor Recall Amendment

With one ex-governor in prison and another convicted of a felony, Illinois voters decided Tuesday that they want the power to rein in future governors.

Voters approved a constitutional amendment that gives the public limited power to recall unpopular governors. The amendment had 66 percent support with 94 percent of precincts reporting.

Voters will be able to hold special recall elections to boot governors out of office. However, the recall power wouldn’t apply to any other public officials and it could only be used if enough state legislators agreed.

The process would be complicated. To launch the recall process, citizens will have to get support from 30 legislators – at least 20 from the House, 10 from the Senate and no more than half from the same party.

Next, they have to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures on a petition to place the recall on the ballot. To ensure some statewide support, activists would need at least 100 signatures from a minimum of 25 counties.

If recall backers succeed, then a special election would be held. A simple majority would be enough to oust the governor. The lieutenant governor would take over until another election could be held to choose a permanent replacement.

Many reform advocates wanted broader recall powers, but legislators would not go along.