Why It Matters
California voters approved Proposition 5, changing the state recall process from one election into two. The amendment separates the decision on removal from the vote to choose a replacement.
What Happened
Proposition 5 received 52% support, compared with 48% opposition, with 91% of the vote counted Thursday, nine days after Election Day.
Under the new process, voters will first decide whether an elected official should be removed. If removal is approved, voters will then choose the official’s replacement. The previous system combined both questions in a single election.
Democratic lawmakers placed the constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot. Democratic Sen. Josh Newman carried the proposal in the Legislature, where Republican lawmakers voted against it. Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed Proposition 5.
Democratic lawmakers and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber advocated changes after Newsom survived an attempted recall in 2021. They described the possibility of an official being removed while another candidate won the replacement vote as producing “undemocratic” outcomes.
Proposition 5 won by wide margins in San Francisco, Alameda and Los Angeles counties. El Dorado and Shasta counties favored retaining the previous system.
By the Numbers
52% — voters who approved Proposition 5
48% — voters who opposed Proposition 5
91% — vote counted Thursday
9 days — time after Election Day when the vote count was reported
2024 — year Democratic lawmakers placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot
2021 — year Gavin Newsom survived an attempted recall
About $200 million — taxpayer cost of the 2021 Newsom recall effort
$100 million — amount spent by campaigns on both sides of the 2021 Newsom recall
62% — voters who elected to keep Gavin Newsom in office
11 — recalls that have reached the California ballot since 1913
Six — recalls approved by California voters
Zoom Out
California has placed 11 recalls on the ballot since 1913, and voters have approved six of them. The recall process brought Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to power in 2003, when he replaced Gray Davis.
Josh Newman was recalled in 2018. No group spent money on the Proposition 5 effort, according to the supplied election facts.
What’s Next
California’s recall process will use the two-election structure established by Proposition 5. Future recall contests will first address removal and then, if necessary, determine who replaces the official.