A recall asks voters whether to remove an elected official before the term ends. In California, a proposed effort must pass through petition and election procedures before it can produce that result. The governor votes in 2003 and 2021 show two different outcomes under the state recall system.
Follow the stages of a governor recall
The California Secretary of State’s recall information page links current guidance and records. Its 2026 recall procedures guide (PDF) is the starting point for the process described here.
- Initiate the effort. Proponents complete the required notice and petition-form procedures. Approval to circulate a petition begins a collection stage.
- Gather signatures. For a governor recall, the signature requirement is 12% of the votes cast for the office at the last election, with a distribution requirement covering at least five counties. In each of those counties, signatures must reach 1% of the county’s last vote for that office. The circulation period is 160 days from approval of the petition form.
- Verify and qualify. Election officials evaluate signatures and complete the applicable statutory steps, including withdrawal and review procedures. A campaign’s claimed total and the official determination are separate milestones.
- Hold the election. Once the required process is complete, voters receive the recall question and, for a governor recall, a successor contest.
- Certify the outcome. Official results establish whether the incumbent is removed and whether the successor contest takes effect.
Other offices have different requirements. For a real filing or voting deadline, follow the current guide, the responsible election official and any case-specific notices. This overview supplies the sequence, while those records supply the operative details.
Read the two questions in a state recall
For the governor, voters decide whether to recall the incumbent and separately choose among successor candidates. A majority voting on the recall question must vote yes for removal. If removal passes, the successor candidate with the most votes wins; an absolute majority in the successor contest is unnecessary. The incumbent cannot appear as a successor candidate.
Each question has its own vote total. A voter can answer the recall question and make a successor choice, so “no” on removal does not erase that person’s participation in the second contest. When comparing percentages, keep the denominator for each question visible.
Current local recalls differ. The 2026 Secretary of State guide says that a local recall ballot has no successor election. If removal succeeds, the vacancy is filled under the law governing that office. Check the office and current rules before applying the governor’s two-question format to a city, county, school district or other local recall.
Compare the two governor elections
| Election | Yes: remove | No: retain | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 7, 2003 | 4,976,274 (55.4%) | 4,007,783 (44.6%) | Gray Davis recalled; Arnold Schwarzenegger won the successor contest. |
| September 14, 2021 | 4,894,473 (38.1%) | 7,944,092 (61.9%) | Gavin Newsom retained office; the successor contest did not determine a replacement. |
Sources: the 2003 Statement of Vote, its recall-question totals (PDF), and the 2021 Statement of Vote with its official summary (PDF).
Why 55.4% and 48.6% describe different results
In 2003, 55.4% of votes on the removal question favored recall. Schwarzenegger received 4,206,284 votes, or 48.6% of the successor vote, according to the official statewide summary (PDF). The first percentage satisfied the removal requirement; his leading share in the second contest selected the successor. The percentages use different vote totals.
Check the status of a new effort
Translate a recall headline into a specific stage: notice filed, petition approved for circulation, signatures submitted, signatures found sufficient, election scheduled or result certified. Then open the corresponding official record. “Recall launched” and “recall qualified” describe substantially different events.
Keep a short log with the office, responsible election authority, document date, current stage and next official milestone. For election-night figures, record whether the results are preliminary or certified. Polls belong in a separate column: they describe surveyed opinion during a field period. The poll-reading guide helps assess their question, sample and uncertainty.
Historical statements about a delayed election also need a later docket check. A temporary order can be changed by a subsequent decision. Read the full sequence before turning one period headline into a claim about the final outcome.
Explore the 2003 reporting collection
These entries preserve campaign-era reporting, statements and legal documents. Some describe intermediate events later overtaken by court rulings or the election result. Campaign websites and claims reflect that period.
Litigation and election administration
- The initial delay decision and the decision overturning the delay: read the orders in sequence.
- Punch-card voting machines: the dispute over voting equipment.
- Voter-education plans: preparations for the special election.
- The cost debate: a congressional delegation’s argument against the effort.
Candidates and campaign material
- Certified candidate list and campaign website directory.
- Brooke Adams, Peter Miguel Camejo and Jason Gastrich: campaign announcements and positions.
- Schwarzenegger-themed political satire: period coverage of a novelty item.
Polling and online participation
- An early recall poll and an online survey report.
- Georgy Russell and an online poll: a campaign’s claim about an internet vote.
About this guide
Sources checked October 6, 2026. Follow the linked source collections for current guidance and revised records. Explore Politics and Civic Life.