So, now that we successfully and decisively fought back the CA Recall...

[TDale313]

What do we need to do to reform this process so we aren’t going through this every few years? Cause this was bullshit… and stressful, expensive bullshit at that.

[Ocelot II]

1. CA election law would have to be changed to make a recall election more difficult.

The majority of states don't have a recall process at all, and most of the other ones that do, don't make it as easy as CA.

[Journeyman]

2. And in the event of a recall, the Lt Governor should take over if the Governor is impeached . . .

They'd take over if the Governor died, or was incapacitated, or resigned. Why not let them take over if the Governor is impeached?

In that way, even if idiots banded together to remove the Governor (for any reason, but especially for light and transient causes such as the present recall), they'd think twice if they didn't stand to profit by the effort.

https://calmatters.org/commentary/2021/08/when-a-recall-succeeds-lieutenant-governor-should-step-in/

[Johonny]

9. I agree

It would almost certainly end this insanity in California if the LT governor simply took over.

[Irish_Dem]

3. How much money was spent to fight this ridiculous witch hunt?

The GOP always says that there is no money for the people, but the GOP wastes large sums of money all the time.

[TDale313]

5. I have heard 250 Million to hold the election

And I don’t think that’s counting what the campaigns and candidates spent. I was happy to donate to defeat it, but this shouldn’t have happened.

[Irish_Dem]

7. No money for the people. But plenty of money for GOP nonsense.

That amount of money for this is obscene.

[RockRaven]

4. Two approaches seem obvious to me: make it harder to have a recall, or alter the result.

For the first option, it could be made harder to get a recall on the ballot (higher threshold of signatures, both total and geographic distribution). Or it could require a supermajority to succeed in the recall portion of the vote (3/5 or 2/3). Not my favorite option because of the tendency of blind partisanship to be defensive of genuinely awful people.

For the second option, eliminate the whole voting for a replacement aspect and make the Lt. Gov the new Gov automatically (would probably have to also make a rule that only one recall can be on the ballot at a time, or the Repukes next angle of abuse would be obvious -- recall both at the same time). That would make it possible to get rid of a genuinely corrupt/bad person without dragging partisanship into it most of the time.

[TDale313]

8. I mean, even separating the questions would help.

I think either of those makes sense. But we have to do something. They’re clearly going to keep abusing this process.

[Mr.Bill]

6. It's easier said than done, this lays it out pretty well:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/10/us/california-recall-laws.html