In Colorado, two candidates have filed to run in the December 17 recall elections targeting a pair of Elizabeth Board of Trustees members, June Jurczewsky and Rachel White. Ron Weaver is challenging Jurczewsky, and Jason Weiss is running against White.

 

Mayor Megan Vasquez and Trustees Angela Ternus, Steve Gaither, Loren Einspahr, and Tammy Payne are also up for a recall vote in April 2020. The difference in election dates is due to a requirement that officials serve in their position for six months before a recall election can be held against them.

 

The recall effort is organized by Dwayne Snader, who initiated the process after an August 21 town meeting focused on a proposed plan for the growth in the town. Snader said the meeting was “a one-way conversation. We had no say-so, and there was no public comment period. They presented their ideas for growth, which included subdivisions and a rebuild of the downtown area, and we’re just supposed to watch our land disappear.”

 

Vasquez commented on the issue surrounding the recall effort. She said, “I can relate to how they’re upset right now. I also feel like there’s a lot of misinformation out there and that does tend to stir the pot. People believe that the Town is going to come and take their property in essence – which we have no intention.”

 

Petitions against all seven officials were approved for circulation on August 26, 2019. Recall organizers were given 60 days to submit signatures equal to 25 percent of the votes cast in the last election for the official being recalled. This meant that petitioners were required to submit 53 valid signatures for Vasquez and between 33 and 36 signatures for each member of the town board.

 

In 2018, Ballotpedia covered a total of 206 recall efforts against 299 elected officials. Of the 123 officials whose recalls made it to the ballot, 77 were recalled for a rate of 62.6 percent. That was higher than the 56.9 percent rate and 56.3 percent rate for 2017 and 2016 recalls, respectively.

 

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