Price draws line in the sand

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ELECTION 2024

PRICE RECALL

—SIGNATURE MOVE—Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price warned that she intends to challenge the verification of 123,387 recall signatures by the county registrar’s office. It’s an effort that if successful could potentially invalidate thousands of signatures, and at the very least delay a recall special election.

—Price’s campaign opposing the recall sent a letter to Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis this week demanding his office follow Section 62 of the county charter, which states signature-gatherers must reside in Alameda County.

—The letter also urges Dupuis to create a separate record of petitions that include signatures gatherers who reside outside of Alameda County, and signatures that do not include an occupation.

—When preparing for the recall last fall, Alameda County counsel noted the residency requirement was ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court to be unconstitutional.

—The county-approved petition to recall Price makes no mention of the residency rule, but only requires signature-gatherers attest they are at least 18-years-old.

—In the letter, Price acknowledges the high court’s ruling, but argues the case involved ballot initiatives, not recalls. In addition, she argues Section 62 is not specifically unconstitutional until a Court of Appeals deems it so.

—“Because no Court of Appeals has declared Charter section 62’s circulator requirement to be unconstitutional, your office has a legal duty to enforce it,” the campaign wrote.

—The charter’s unenforceable recall provisions led the Board of Supervisors to ask voters this week to amend the century-old county guiding document.

—Measure B, the county charter amendment, appears likely to be approved by voters, according to election returns released on Thursday evening.

—Price’s threat of litigation was anticipated by the campaign seeking to recall Price. In recent months, Price publicly asserted the recall campaign’s reliance on paid signature gatherers violated the county charter.

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