Florida Republican Introduces Proposal to Allow Recalls of Election Officials
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, Jan. 9, Florida state Rep. Joel Rudman (R) introduced House Joint Resolution 131, a proposed amendment that would allow Florida voters to recall all elected county officials in the state, including supervisors of elections. In order to become part of the state constitution, H.J.R. 131 will need to be approved by at least 60% of each chamber of the state Legislature before going before the voters, who will also have to approve the measure by at least 60%. If the amendment is approved, the Legislature will be able to pass legislation providing a process to conduct such recalls.
In Florida, elections in each county are overseen by a supervisor of elections that is generally elected by county voters. The state constitution currently only allows recalls against elected county officials in Florida’s 20 charter counties, counties like Miami-Dade or Pinellas that have their own unique governing frameworks. H.J.R. 131 would amend the constitution to allow recalls against county officials in all 67 counties. Supervisors of elections all across the state could become subject to frivolous recalls for merely doing their jobs, adding even more pressure to elections officials in a climate of increased threats, harassment and conspiracy theories.