NEW ORLEANS — The deadline is approaching for the group behind the recall effort to submit all the signatures. The Nolatoya recall group needs over 53,000 signatures, but just a few years ago that number was higher.
Before a law was passed in 2018, the threshold to force a recall was 33% of registered voters, now it’s 20%. Louisiana State Representative Paul Hollis, who helped pass the legislation, said the previous threshold was nearly impossible.
“It’s just something that’s absolutely unachievable and despite all the efforts we had seen in the Northshore, I was convinced their efforts were tremendous and they didn’t’ get anywhere near that number so we lowered it,” Hollis said.
Hollis believes having the ability to recall a politician is important.
“I think recalls are necessary because it gives people real time accountability. There’s an argument you get elected for a term two years, four years, whatever it may be but if something really awful something dreadful occurs people want to be able to have the ability to kick that individual out of office,” Hollis said.
Even with the lowered signature requirement, experts say the group behind the recall should really be aiming to get more than the 53,000 needed, as some signatures will inevitably be deemed invalid.
“I’d want to basically have or consider a 5 to 10 percent error rate so that means I’d need anywhere between 3 thousand to 5 thousand additional signatures for that cushion because some are going to be invalid, if they can’t be read or they don’t live in Orleans parish anymore or they aren’t a registered voter or not an active registered voter, so there could be several reasons why those could be removed,” Edward Chervenak, University of New Orleans Political Scientist said.
Chervenak says the signatures, while a difficult process, is just one step of the recall process. If the group does gather enough signatures, they will then be turned into the Registrar of Voters office, which has 20 working days to validate the signatures.
If all the signatures are validated, it then goes to the Governor, who has 15 working days to issue a proclamation for a special election. Campaigns would be run to either keep the mayor in office or not.