Elections

Good morning sf.citi members, 

I’m writing to you today to provide you with a comprehensive update on the potential special election in San Francisco in the coming months and what to expect in terms of process and other key details.

Governor’s Recall 

California Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis set September 14, 2021 as the official date for the California Gubernatorial Recall Election.

Local Elections 

In June 2021, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution indicating their intent to hold an election on the same day as the statewide recall election, contingent on its confirmation. The deadline for the Board of Supervisors to file the appropriate documents with the San Francisco Department of Elections has since passed, as the Board needed to call a special municipal election 105-120 days before the proposed election date. Because there are now fewer than 50 days before September 14th, the board cannot enact a special election to be held on the same day as the California Gubernatorial Recall Election. 

However, there are still several ways a special election can be called in San Francisco, including the recall for DA Boudin and the SF school board. The DA recall campaign needs to gather 51,325 valid signatures by August 11th to qualify for a local special election, and each school board petition needs to gather 51,325 valid signatures by September 7th to qualify for a special election. Once a petition is submitted, the Department of Elections has 30 days to verify signatures. Upon certifying the sufficiency of the recall petition’s signatures, the Director of Elections shall immediately call a special municipal election on the recall, to be held between 105-120 days from the date of its calling, unless it is within 105 days of a general municipal or statewide election.

As the timing of any special municipal election depends on when recall petition signatures are submitted, there is no definitive answer of when a special election will be called. However, we have received confirmation from the City Attorney’s Office that there will be no other contests on the California Gubernatorial Recall Election ballot. Therefore, if San Francisco holds a special election, it will be held after September 14th, 2021. 

Vacancy Election 

Additionally, the City must schedule a Vacancy Election for Assessor-Recorder at the next election as there is no longer sufficient time for this contest to be included on the California Gubernatorial Recall Election ballot. According to the City Charter, the vacancy election for this position will be held at the “next election,” where candidates would have a sufficient opportunity to run for that office.

Ballot Initiatives 

While the prospect of a special election has yet to be confirmed, Supervisor Preston has communicated that he is considering bringing his Free Muni proposal to voters. Furthermore, should an entity want to place a citizen’s initiative on the ballot, they would have to submit signatures to the Department of Elections 120 days before the next local election. We will keep you updated should we hear more within the coming weeks. 

Thank you for your continued membership and please let me know if you have any questions.  

Jen