Vote ‘no’ on the recall, and fill out the entire California ballot. Here’s why that’s important

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Opinion: Gavin Newsom Recall Vote

Read The Sacramento Bee’s editorials and recommendations on the recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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Recalling Gavin Newsom has major consequences for California. Voters must reject it

Vote ‘no’ on the recall, and fill out the entire California ballot. Here’s why that’s important

Watch the full interview: Gavin Newsom on recall, challengers and the high stakes for California

Gavin Newsom discusses recall election issues with California opinion editors

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Election ballots are notoriously confusing, and the recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom is a high stakes example. It’s crucial that voters know what they are voting for and against, so we’re here to help.

California voters are tasked with deciding if Newsom should remain in office or be removed. To decide this, you will be presented with two questions:

Voters will be asked whether Newsom should be recalled — removed from office as governor of California. A ‘yes’ vote supports the removal of Newsom from office. A ‘no’ vote would help keep Newsom in office.

And remember the controversy around Newsom not being listed as a Democrat on the ballot? In this question, Newsom’s name will not show his party. So remember: Newsom is, in fact, a Democrat.

McClatchy’s California editorial boards feel strongly that Newsom should not be recalled. We are encouraging a ‘no’ vote on the first question on the ballot. After holding endorsement interviews with several leading candidates, we think the motley list of Newsom’s challengers are unprepared, uninformed, dangerous or all of the above. And if you really dislike Newsom, we’re only months away from the next scheduled election cycle — vote him out of office then.

The second question on the ballot asks voters to choose one of 46 candidates to succeed Newsom in office as governor if he is successfully recalled. The list of candidates will appear in an order determined by a randomized drawing done by the Secretary of State’s office. Voters can only choose one candidate. The 46 candidates are all “recall challengers,” so Newsom will not be listed as an option here.

Importantly, voters can choose to vote on both questions or they can choose to vote on just one. Voters are not required to complete the entire ballot, but they should — regardless of how they answer question one — and here’s why:

If voters vote ‘no’ in part one, indicating that Newsom should not be recalled, they can still answer question two and choose a potential successor from the list of candidates. And they should do so.

Question one will be decided by a majority of votes. That means that if a simple majority of voters — more than 50% — vote ‘yes,’ Newsom will be removed from office. However, if the recall is successful, the candidate who receives the most votes will take office and complete Newsom’s term. This candidate does not need a majority of votes to take office. In other words, if Newsom is recalled, his replacement could be determined by only a small fraction of the votes — possibly even a tiny fraction.

That’s why it’s important that voters who support keeping Newsom in office still choose who they think is the most qualified and best suited replacement to finish out Newsom’s term should he be recalled. If ‘no’ voters don’t choose a replacement candidate on the ballot and Newsom is recalled, ‘yes’ voters will choose California’s new governor, be they a politician, a radio talk show host or a reality TV star.

Still confused? California counties will soon make sample ballots publicly available. Make sure to review a sample ballot before voting so you know what — and who — you’re voting for.

This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Vote ‘no’ on the recall, and fill out the entire California ballot. Here’s why that’s important."