Latest news with #recallElection
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jackson County voters sue to stop Frank White, election boards from delaying recall
As Jackson County officials go back and forth debating who gets to schedule a looming vote to recall County Executive Frank White, Jr. — and when they get to do it — a new bipartisan lawsuit seeks to block White, a Democrat, from interfering with the timeline of the vote. The lawsuit — brought by former chairs of both the Democratic and Republican parties of Jackson County and two other county residents — seeks a court order upholding the proposed August 26 date for a recall election. It argues that the county charter mandates that a recall vote take place no later than 60 days after the necessary number of signatures are submitted to the relevant election boards. The lawsuit asserts that — regardless of what county legislators, executives or election officials say or do about it — the election's timeline was already set the moment voters submitted their petition with enough signatures at the end of June and is now non-negotiable. It asks a county judge to tell the election boards for Jackson County and Kansas City to proceed with the vote. The Jackson County Board of Elections declined to comment on the lawsuit or the current status of preparations for the August 26 election, citing legal advice to avoid further public statements about the recall election. 'Our attorneys are reviewing the lawsuit,' Republican director Tammy Brown said. After months of effort from grassroots organizers and a shadowy political action group, Jackson County voters collected 43,011 valid signatures, which is 109 more than the 42,902 needed to compel a recall. Organizers submitted the signatures on June 27, and the election boards certified them three days later. The last day a recall vote could take place per the county charter would be either August 26 based on the day the signatures were submitted, or August 29 based on the day the signatures were certified, the lawsuit reads. 'It takes time to plan and conduct an election, and in this unprecedented time, the Election Boards should be given the most time to be able to plan and hold an election but it must be before August 29, 2025,' the lawsuit reads. Jackson County legislators voted unanimously Monday on an ordinance set the recall election for August 26. Like White, seven of the nine legislators are Democrats. White has 10 days to veto the ordinance, or it becomes law. It takes six votes to override a veto. But the lawsuit argues that the timing of the election ultimately does not depend on Monday's ordinance and should go forward no matter what White or the legislature do. It says that different from other kinds of elections, the county charter is clear that voters petition the county's election boards directly to prompt a recall election and that the process should not involve the legislature or executive at all. Along with the county charter, the lawsuit references an ordinance passed by the legislature in 2023 detailing the procedure for an election to recall the county executive. That ordinance allows recall elections to be triggered directly by election board approval of submitted signatures, the lawsuit reads. White said Monday that the special election could cost taxpayers $2 million and hinted at taking legal action to block the legislature's effort to schedule the vote. He has said that an August election would violate his interpretation of the 2023 ordinance. To justify his reasoning, White referenced a line near the end of that ordinance that reads, 'If no legal election date is available within sixty days, the election will occur at the next available election after certification of the Petition.' DaRon McGee, chair of the Jackson County Legislature, issued a statement Wednesday accusing White of implementing 'delaying tactics and creating imaginary conspiracies' around the recall vote process. 'To delay or obstruct that vote isn't just unnecessary—it's a disservice to the very people we're supposed to represent,' McGee wrote. The lawsuit was filed by Kansas City attorney Phil LeVota, former chair of the county Democratic party, and former county Republican chair Mark Anthony Jones, along with two other residents: Fawn Collins and Jay Perry. It names as defendants White, the county legislature, county clerk Mary Jo Spino and the Kansas City and Jackson County election boards. In a statement issued Wednesday, White accused LeVota of being motivated by revenge after White declined to create a vacancy for him in the county's municipal court. 'I declined because expanding the government to create a job for a political insider is exactly what I was elected to stop,' White wrote. 'Even more concerning, Mr. LeVota has been openly lobbying legislators to name him interim County Executive if a recall succeeds, and at the same time, doing the bidding of the teams in the press.' The Star's Mike Hendricks contributed reporting.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jackson Co. Executive responds to litigation alleging attempt to delay recall election
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After Jackson County, Missouri lawmakers , July 7, to hold a special election to decide Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr.'s potential recall, litigation has been filed stating that he and his office cannot delay a special election. On Wednesday, Executive White said in a news release that the recall efforts are not based on what's best for the county, and that the true root of the efforts for his recall, and litigation alleging his attempt to delay an election, lie in an attempted power grab. Jackson County recall election of Frank White could be delayed 'Let's be honest: this recall isn't about what's best for Jackson County – it's about politics, personal power grabs, wasted taxpayer dollars, and, most of all, stadium subsidies,' White's statement reads. Additionally, White's statement responds to a petition filed on Wednesday, July 9, which claims that White's office attempted to delay the vote for his recall. 'The public deserves to know who's behind today's lawsuit. The attorney leading the effort, Phil LeVota, previously asked me to create a new judicial position in the County's municipal court so he could be appointed to it. I declined because expanding government to create a job for a political insider is exactly what I was elected to stop,' White's statement reads. 'Even more concerning, Mr. LeVota has been openly lobbying legislators to name him interim County Executive if a recall succeeds, and at the same time, doing the bidding of the teams in the press.' The lawsuit says according to the Jackson County Charter, a special election like the recall election would need to be held within 60 days of when petitions were filed. That would mean that the election would need to be held by August 26 or 29, depending on whether the date the petitions were filed is chosen as June 27 or 29. Man facing charges for Kansas City shooting that happened when he was a teen Jackson County's Sixth District Legislator, Sean Smith, was one of nine legislators in the county who voted for the special recall election. He released a statement in response to White's reaction to recall efforts as well. Smith claims that on Monday, the County Administration seemingly intentionally left early for the day in an attempt to delay the August 26 special election. Smith also describes the language used by the County Charter, how attempting to delay the election is illegal and that he expects similar efforts from the County Administration to continue. 'The section of the County Charter that describes the recall process begins with 'The people reserve the power to propose and enact all ordinances independent of the County Legislature'. Indeed, the recall petition contains the statement 'Be it ordained.' Once sufficient signatures were obtained and certified the ordinance requiring the election should've been certified and an election scheduled, without legislative action, within the 60 days required by the Charter,' Smith's release says. 'Further efforts by the administration will no doubt continue. These could include refusing to fund the election which is another legal requirement, challenging the validity of the petitions using County resources, which violates election law or other measures that remain to be seen.' KC business owner stops illegal tow linked to company facing $7.1 million judgement The petition states and requests that the Jackson County and Kansas City Election Boards immediately begin planning a special election for Executive White's recall on August 26. The petition also asks the court to instruct the County Legislature and County Executive that they cannot propose, pass, veto or deal with any ordinance relating to a recall election process of a county official as the election boards have already been served with the signatures which is an election initiative ordinance and that is the notice to the election boards under the Charter.' This is a developing story; FOX4 will provide updates as they're made available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jackson County recall election of Frank White could be delayed
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — There could be legal action taken to delay the recall election of Democratic Jackson County Executive Frank White. County Counselor Bryan Covinsky spoke to FOX4 Tuesday about what he could see happening soon. Covinsky's boss is White, but he represents all the elected leaders on floor two of the Jackson County Courthouse. That includes the County Legislature too, who on Monday, for residents to vote on August 26. Mayor of Peculiar resigns amid impeachment proceedings; new mayor named FOX4 asked Covinsky if he thought the election boards will have enough time to put an election together for that date. 'No, I don't think they'll have time,' he replied. 'I'm anticipating that they'll be some legal action taken by the Election Board because of the ordinance filed that said 60 days, and I think it's listed as August 26, and I think they've expressed that before that it would be difficult for them to complete that.' The Kansas City Election Board (KCEB) and the Jackson County Election Board (JCEB) would not comment Tuesday. Thursday, July 3 though, the directors of the JCEB told FOX4 they wanted the election held November 4, not August 26. Mary Jo Spino is the county clerk of the Jackson County Legislature. She sits in front of legislators and reads ordinances and resolutions during their meetings. Spino has to certify an election for the JCEB and the KCEB to continue their processes, but that can't happen until White decides what he's going to do with the recall ordinance the legislature passed Monday 9-0. White has until July 17 to decide whether he'll sign or veto the ordinance. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri Covinsky was asked whether he thinks White potentially vetoing this would be a conflict of interest. 'You know, it's still part of the ordinances that the executive has that administrative authority to do that,' he replied. 'So for us to ignore the charter that says he has this ability to say that's a conflict of interest, again, I still think that gets fixed if you want to call it, or at least supported when they have the opportunity to veto or overrule him or to support his veto.' Democratic Legislative Chairman DaRon McGee seems to have a veto-proof majority on the issue. He would only need five other legislators to support the ordinance if White vetoes it. All eight other legislators supported him Monday. Tuesday, FOX4 asked him whether he was concerned an August 26 election date was not giving the KCEB and the JCEB enough time to get ready for a recall election. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV 'Well, let me just say this. I don't know how to run an election,' McGee responded. 'That's not my job. So, I would just simply say our job as a legislature was to pass the ordinance and the resolution, which we did, and we have set an election date, and so I'm leaving it to the experts that deal with elections to get an election done by the date.' White has 10 days to veto Monday's ordinance, or until Thursday, July 17. The legislature has already set a meeting date of Friday, July 18, just in case they need to come in and override a White veto. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NHK
21-06-2025
- Politics
- NHK
Taiwan to hold recall vote for 24 largest opposition lawmakers in July
Taiwan will hold a recall election next month for 24 lawmakers of the largest opposition party Kuomintang, or KMT. The KMT currently holds 52 seats. Together with another opposition party, it forms a majority of the 113-member parliament. The ruling Democratic Progressive Party, DPP, led by President Lai Ching-te, holds 51 seats. A civic group critical of the KMT had been pushing a petition drive to hold a recall vote. The Central Election Commission announced on Friday that a recall election will be held on July 26 after the group had collected enough signatures from voters for holding one. It is rare for a large-scale recall vote to take place in Taiwan. A recall election will be held in the electoral districts that the 24 lawmakers represent. They will be dismissed if votes in favor of their recall outnumber votes against, and if those in favor account for at least a quarter of registered voters in their district. The DPP could gain a majority if many KMT lawmakers are dismissed and if it wins at least six seats in special elections to fill vacancies caused by the recall vote.
CBS News
29-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Recall petition certified for San Francisco Supervisor Joel Engardio; election in September
San Francisco election officials on Thursday announced a recall petition has been certified against Supervisor Joel Engardio, setting the stage for a recall election in September. According to Department of Elections director John Arntz, the campaign seeking to oust the District 4 supervisor submitted 10,523 valid signatures, which is above the recall threshold of 9,911 signatures. Arntz said officials will proceed with preparations for the special election, which is set for Sep. 16. The special election will only be open to residents in District 4, which covers several westside neighborhoods including the Sunset, Outer Sunset, Parkside, Lakeshore and Merced Manor. Engardio, who was elected in 2022, faced a growing backlash among residents over his support of Prop. K, which closed a two-mile stretch of the upper Great Highway to cars to create a park. While the measure passed citywide with 54% of the vote, much of the opposition was centered in the Sunset and Richmond districts. The roadway permanently closed to automobiles on March 14. Selena Chu, who helped gather signatures for the recall, told CBS News Bay Area that she doesn't feel Engardio is listening to his constituents. "He was elected to be the District 4 Supervisor, but instead of coming to us, he went for the whole city, but I think it needs to start here," Chu said. Chu also said the closure of the Great Highway has impacted her everyday life. "With the closure, it does add 15-30 minutes extra, per morning, to my commute," explained Chu. "Some people on social media ask, 'Why don't you just wake up earlier?' accusing me of being lazy. It's not a matter of that." In a statement to CBS Bay Area, Engardio said he's confident the majority of voters would oppose the recall and approve of the work he's doing. "I'm working with SFMTA to further improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety," Engardio said. "I'm fixing problems big and small for residents, supporting merchants, and working with the mayor and my colleagues to pass legislation that addresses pressing issues on public safety, housing, and our local economy. I'm continuing to do the job of supervisor as I always have." District 4 is home to about 80,000 residents.
