Stop blaming GOP for cost of the $276 million recall. They didn’t make the rules

In the wake of the lopsided result of Tuesday’s recall election, there has been much venting over the money “wasted” on the process.

There have even been snarky calls for the Republican Party to refund the state the $276 million budgeted for the election.

But let’s get real. The GOP doesn’t owe the state a dime, any more than unsuccessful candidates in regular elections owe anything.

While the majority of California voters obviously disagreed with the Republican Party’s belief that Gov. Gavin Newsom is unfit for office, the California Constitution still gave the GOP the right to try.

And after all, elections aren’t lawsuits where the losing side can be ordered to pay attorneys’ fees.

Elections are a cornerstone of democracy, and begrudging the cost of sending out ballots and tabulating results doesn’t say much about the value we place on this essential right.

Besides, the fizzled effort to recall Newsom wasn’t a total waste of taxpayer money.

For one, it proved the Republican Party doesn’t know how to read a room — at least in California — and maybe that will finally lead the state GOP to do some much-needed soul searching. We can at least hope, right?

For another, it demonstrated that values such as tolerance, a belief in science and a respect for truth and the common good are alive and well in the Golden State.

Most importantly, it exposed how messed up California’s recall process actually is and that may be the impetus for reforms that should have been made long ago.

Recall history

A little background: Progressives were the first to champion the idea of giving voters the opportunity to oust elected officials; they saw it as a way to get rid of corrupt politicians.

Los Angeles was the first city in the nation to include a recall in its charter, and on Oct. 10, 1911, California voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment allowing the recall of state officials, including governors, legislators and state Supreme Court justices.

Today, California is one of only 19 states in the U.S. that give voters the ability to fire elected state officials.

That’s an important safeguard against crooked politicians, and it should remain in place. But as we’ve said before, the bar for getting a recall on the ballot in California is far too low.

Some examples:

• In California, only 12% of the number of voters who cast ballots in the previous gubernatorial election are needed. Only Virginia requires fewer signatures — 10%. In other states, it’s 20% or 25%, and one state — Kansas — requires 40%.
• California allows recall supporters 160 days to gather enough signatures, which is among the more generous time frames. Several other states allow only 60 or 90 days.
• Recall proponents don’t have to state a reason for their action. Other states allow recalls only for serious issues, such as corruption, criminal conviction, or physical or mental unfitness for duty.

A push for reform

Election committee chairs in the state Senate and the Assembly plan to launch a bipartisan effort to reform the broken recall process by early next year, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“The voters want to see a more democratic process put in place that keeps elected officials accountable, that prevents political gamesmanship of the rules,” state Sen. Steve Glazer said at a Wednesday news conference.

Voters will have the final say on whether to reform the process, and judging by the results of Tuesday’s election, it’s highly likely they’ll approve an overhaul that will make it more challenging to get a recall on the ballot.

But even necessary reforms have a way of getting sidetracked at the state Capitol. We can’t let that happen.

Instead of wasting energy on shaming the GOP for trying to oust Newsom, let’s concentrate on making sure frivolous recall efforts don’t happen again by demanding action in Sacramento.