Ballotpedia's 2023 Year-End Recall Report Shows Highest Percent of Elected Officials Recalled since 2018

 Michigan, California, and Colorado led the way in 2023 with the most recall efforts

MIDDLETON, Wis., Jan. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballotpedia's 2023 year-end U.S. recall report identifies 292 recall campaigns targeting 426 officials. Voters recalled 78 elected officials – 18.31% of those targeted for recall – and the highest percentage of successful recalls since 2018.

States with the most recall efforts in 2023

• Michigan:
  • 143 (34 officials successfully removed from office in 2023)
  • Michigan had the most officials targeted for recall in 2018 and 2022

• California:
  • 58 (1 official successfully removed from office in 2023)
  • California had the most officials targeted for recall in 2016, 2017, and 2019-2021

• Colorado:
  • 30 (7 officials successfully removed from office in 2023)

Officials facing the most recall efforts

• City council members: 177
• School board members: 97
• Mayor and vice mayors: 60

According to Ballotpedia's Elections Manager, Daniel Anderson, "Recalls are available to voters in 39 states and are one of the unique features of American politics. The number of recalls spiked during COVID years (2020-2021), and we've found that while the numbers have fallen in the last two years, they did not fall to pre-COVID levels."

Click here to read the full report with detailed data and analysis.

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Ballotpedia–the encyclopedia of American politics–is the nation's most trusted source of unbiased information on politics, elections and policy. Founded in 2007, Ballotpedia has grown from a small group of dedicated volunteers working on a handful of ballot measures to an essential resource for voters, media and researchers. Ballotpedia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the public interest in creating an educated, engaged electorate, and building a strong, healthy democracy. For free access to 420,000+ encyclopedic, professionally authored and curated articles, visit ballotpedia.org.

SOURCE BALLOTPEDIA