New local recall election law: If successful, remaining council members appoint replacements or hold another special election
By Allen D. Payton
Los Banos City Clerk Lucy Mallonee, today, Wednesday, August 7, 2024, a Notice of Election regarding the Special Recall Elections for Councilmen Doug Begonia and Brett Jones who are both halfway through their current terms. Re-elected in November 2022, Jones is serving in his second term and Begonia is in his first, elected for at that same time. (See related article)
Following is the official message from Mallonee in both English and Spanish:
NOTICE OF ELECTION
Notice is hereby given that two Special Recall Elections will be held in the City of Los Banos on Tuesday, the 5th day of November 2024. These elections shall be consolidated with the General Municipal Election previously called for November 5, 2024.
The purpose of these elections is to determine whether or not the officers named in the recall petitions shall be recalled. The officers in question are Council Member Douglas Begonia, Jr., District 2, and Council Member Brett Jones, District 3. If a majority of the voters in each Council Member’s respective district determines that either officer sought to be recalled shall be removed from office, then the office in question shall become vacant, and the City Council shall fill that vacancy in the manner provided by law for filling vacancies generally.
The vote center locations and hours of operations, ballot drop box locations and hours of operations, vote-by-mail procedures and timing, the election officers, and all other persons and procedures for the Special Recall Elections shall be the same as those used by the County of Merced for the Statewide General Election and in compliance with the Elections Code of the State of California. The polls will be open between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on early voting days and 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Lucille L. Mallonee, MMC
City Clerk / City Elections Official
Dated: August 7, 2024
AVISO DE ELECCIÓN
Por la presente se da aviso que se llevarán a cabo dos Elecciones Revocatorias Especiales en la Ciudad de Los Banos el Martes 5 de Noviembre de 2024. Estas elecciones se consolidarán con la Elección Municipal General previamente convocada para el 5 de Noviembre de 2024.
El propósito de estas elecciones es determinar si los funcionarios nombrados en las peticiones de destitución serán revocados o no. Los funcionarios en cuestión son el concejal Douglas Begonia, Jr., Distrito 2, y el concejal Brett Jones, Distrito 3. Si la mayoría de los votantes en el distrito respectivo de cada miembro del Concejo determina que cualquiera de los funcionarios que se solicita destituir debe ser removido de su cargo, entonces el cargo en cuestión quedará vacante y el Concejo Municipal llenará esa vacante en la forma prevista por la ley para llenar vacantes en general.
Las ubicaciones y horarios de operación de los centros de votación, las ubicaciones y horarios de operación de las urnas para la entrega de boletas, los procedimientos y horarios de votación por correo, los funcionarios electorales y todas las demás personas y procedimientos para las Elecciones Revocatorias Especiales serán los mismos que los utilizados por el Condado de Merced para las Elecciones Generales Estatales y en cumplimiento del Código Electoral del Estado de California. Las urnas estarán abiertas entre las 8:00 a. m. y las 4:00 p. m. los días de votación anticipada y de 7:00 a.m. a 8:00 p.m. el día de las elecciones.
Lucille L. Mallonee, MMC
Secretario de la Ciudad / Oficial de Elecciones
Fecha: 7 de agosto de 2024
New Recall Election Law: Remaining Council Members Appoint Replacements or Hold Another Special Election
Based on a bill signed into law by Gov. Newsom in 2022, AB2582, local recalls are now handled different. Should either or both of the incumbents get recalled, with at least 50% plus one of the voters in their respective districts voting in favor, their seats become vacant and the remaining council members can either choose to appoint their replacements or send one or both to another special election, which would occur in early 2025. That’s because a replacement candidate election is no longer held at the same time as the recall election.
Therefore, the three candidates elected mayor and to the Districts 1 and 4 council seats will make the decision. If they choose to appoint replacements, those individuals must live in the districts they want to represent.
