What is meant by the term “recall election”?

A recall election is a special type of election used to revoke the powers of an elected official who may have violated the public trust or failed to perform their duties. In West Virginia, a recall election is initiated when a petition is submitted to the Secretary of State. The petition must have the signatures of at least 15% of the registered voters in the district of the elected official. Once the State verifies the signatures, a recall election is held. The election is then held within thirty days. During the recall election, the voters decide whether to revoke the powers of the elected official. If the majority of the votes are in favor of revoking the powers, the elected official is immediately removed from office. The recall election process is an important tool to assure that elected officials are held accountable to the voters. It provides the public with the ability to voice their displeasure with an elected official and have them removed from office if they are found to be unfit to serve.

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What is meant by the term “recall election”?

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