Approaches to recall of elected representatives

Author: Bruce McCall, Sarah McKay and Courtney Aitken

PDF Published: Wednesday 12 Mar 2025 (SB 25-09)

Expand
Overview
Report

Hide

Hide

Overview
Report
- Summary
- Proposal to introduce a recall mechanism for Members of the Scottish Parliament
- Recall mechanisms in the United Kingdom
  - Recall of Members of Parliament (House of Commons, UK Parliament)
  - Consideration of recall during the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill
    
    Senedd Cymru Standards of Conduct Committee inquiry on Individual Member Accountability
- International examples of recall mechanisms
  - United States of America
    
    California
    
    Recall of state level representatives
    
    2003 gubernatorial recall election
    
    2021 gubernatorial recall election
    
    Recall of local level representatives
    
    North Dakota
    
    Wisconsin
  - Latvia
  - British Columbia, Canada
  - Venezuela
  - Germany
  - Japan
  - Mexico
- Summary
- Proposal to introduce a recall mechanism for Members of the Scottish Parliament
- Recall mechanisms in the United Kingdom
- International examples of recall mechanisms
Sources

Ace Project. (2024). Electoral Systems. Retrieved from https://aceproject.org/main/english/es/esy_uk.htm [accessed 21 June 2024]

Vandamme, P.E. (2020). Can the Recall Improve Electoral Representation?. Frontiers in Political Science, 2. doi: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/political-science/articles/10.3389/fpos.2020.00006/full

Scottish Parliament. (2022). Proposed Removal from Office and Recall Scottish Parliament Bill. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/proposals-for-bills/proposed-removal-from-office-and-recall-scottish-parliament-bill [accessed 21 June 2024]

Scottish Parliament. (2024). How MSPs are elected. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/msps/about-msps/how-msps-are-elected [accessed 27 June 2024]

legislation.gov.uk. (1998). Scotland Act. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1998/46/contents [accessed 21 June 2024]

Scottish Parliament. (2022, September 22). Proposed Removal from Office and Recall (Members of the Scottish Parliament) Bill – Graham Simpson MSP - Summary of Consultation Responses. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/proposed-members-bills/summary-of-consultation-responsesremoval-and-recall-of-members.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Scottish Parliament. (2024, May 2). Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee Meeting date: Thursday, May 2, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/SPPAC-02-05-2024?meeting=15839 [accessed 21 June 2024]

legislation.gov.uk. (2015). Recall of MPs Act 2015 - Introduction. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/25/notes#:~:text=The%20Act%20sets%20out%20a,will%20trigger%20a%20by-election. [accessed 21 June 2024]

The Electoral Comission. (2015). Introduction to Recall of MPs act 2015. Retrieved from https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-05/Recall%20Act%20-%20initial%20factsheet%20-%20amended%20April%202021.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Kelly, R., & Johnston, N. (2024, March 26). Recall elections. Retrieved from https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05089/ [accessed 21 June 2024]

UK Government. (2011, December). Recall of MPs Draft Bill. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/62227/Recall_of_MPs_Draft_Bill.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

House of Commons Committee on Standards. (2018, July 17). Ian Paisley, Third Report of Session 2017–19. Retrieved from https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmstandards/1397/1397.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

South Lanarkshire Council. (2023, October 6). Rutherglen and Hamilton West By-election Results. Retrieved from https://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/info/200237/elections/761/previous_election_and_referenda_results/2 [accessed 21 June 2024]

The Times. (2023, April 6). How Tory MP offered to lobby for Gambling investors. Retrieved from https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/tory-mp-scott-benton-lobbying-investigation-ckhzrfqg0 [accessed 21 June 2024]

House of Commons Committee on Standards. (2023, December 14). Scott Benton. Retrieved from https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/42581/documents/211708/default/ [accessed 21 June 2024]

Senedd Cymru. (2023, September 18). Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill. Retrieved from https://business.senedd.wales/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=41915 [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Research. (2023, September 20). Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill: the next steps for Senedd reform. Retrieved from https://research.senedd.wales/research-articles/senedd-cymru-members-and-elections-bill-the-next-steps-for-senedd-reform/ [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Research. (2024). Maps of Senedd constituencies and regions. Retrieved from https://research.senedd.wales/maps/ [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Cymru. (2024, May 8). Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill (as passed). Retrieved from https://business.senedd.wales/documents/s150303/Senedd%20Cymru%20Members%20and%20Elections%20Bill%20as%20passed.pdf [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Cymru. (2024, January). Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Bill Stage 1 Report by the Reform Bill Committee. Retrieved from https://senedd.wales/media/bupjpf3z/cr-ld16271-e.pdf#page=212 [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Cymru. (2024, March 5). Marshalled List of Amendments - 5 March 2024 (v2). Retrieved from https://business.senedd.wales/documents/s145659/Marshalled%20List%20of%20Amendments%205%20March%202024%20v2.pdf [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Cymru. (2024, March 5). Committee of the Whole Senedd - 5 March 2024. Retrieved from https://record.senedd.wales/Committee/14022#A700000833 [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Cymru. (2024, April 30). Plenary - 30 April 2024. Retrieved from https://record.senedd.wales/Plenary/13876#C586238 [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Cymru. (2024, June 3). Individual Member Accountability. Retrieved from http://seneddtest.assemblywales.org/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=43871&Opt=0 [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Cymru. (2024, June 17). Standards of Conduct Committee - 17 June 2024. Retrieved from https://record.senedd.wales/Committee/13960#A88988 [accessed 27 June 2024]

Senedd Cymru. (2024, June 10). Standards of Conduct Committee - 10 June 2024. Retrieved from https://record.senedd.wales/Committee/14695#A88770 [accessed 27 June 2024]

Welsh Parliament. (2025, January 29). Individual Member Accountability - Recall. Retrieved from https://senedd.wales/media/qmbks1nv/cr-ld16929-e.pdf [accessed 11 February 2025]

Ballotpedia. (2023). Laws Governing Recall. Retrieved from https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_recall#cite_note-recallblog-1 [accessed 21 June 2024]

California Legislative Information. (1976). State Constitution of California. Retrieved from https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&division=&title=&part=&chapter=&article=II [accessed 21 June 2024]

State of California. (2024, January). Prodcedures for Recalling State and Local Officials. Retrieved from https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/recalls/recall-procedures-guide.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Lawrence , D.G. (2003). California's crazy recall. Retrieved from https://www.westmont.edu/californias-crazy-recall

The New York Times. (2003). California Sets Recall Vote Date and Resolves Ballot Issue. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/24/national/california-sets-recall-vote-date-and-resolves-ballot-issue.html [accessed 21 June 2024]

California Secretary of State. (2003). Statement of Vote. Retrieved from https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/sov/2003-special/sov-complete.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

California Statewide Special Election (Web Archive). (2003). Recall information: List of candidates. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20110811140805/http://vote2003.sos.ca.gov/recall/1-3-candidates.html [accessed 21 June 2024]

National Conference of State Legislatures . (2021, September 15). Recall of State officials . Retrieved from https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/recall-of-state-officials [accessed 21 June 2024]

Office of California Secretary of State. (2021, July). Proponents’ Statement of Reasons for the Recall and the Governor’s Answer. Retrieved from https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ccrov/2021/july/21082ha.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

CNN. (2021). Election Center 2021: California Recall. Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/election/2021/results/california [accessed 21 June 2024]

Newsweek. (2025, January 31). Gavin Newsom Notified of Intent to Recall as Petition Reaches Target. Retrieved from https://www.newsweek.com/gavin-newsom-recall-petition-wildfires-target-signatures-2023987 [accessed 11 February 2025]

Legislature of North Dakota. (n.d.) Constitution of North Dakota. Retrieved from https://ndlegis.gov/constitution [accessed 11 February 2025]

North Dakota Secretary of State. (2023). North Dakota Votes 2024: RECALLING AN ELECTED OFFICIAL OF THE STATE OR A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION. Retrieved from https://vip.sos.nd.gov/pdfs/Portals/recalling.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Ballotpedia. (2024). Laws governing recall in North Dakota. Retrieved from https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_recall_in_North_Dakota [accessed 21 June 2024]

North Dakota State Library. (2024, May). Exhibit - "Education Not Politics": Special Recall Election of 1921. Retrieved from https://library-nd.libguides.com/EducationNotPolitics/recall1921 [accessed 21 June 2024]

Ballotpedia. (2024). Laws governing recall in Wisconsin. Retrieved from https://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_recall_in_Wisconsin [accessed 21 June 2024]

Reuters. (2012, March). Why is Wisconsin governor facing a recall election?. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE82T137/ [accessed 21 June 2024]

Politico. (2012, June 6). Wisconsin Recall: Walker Wins. Retrieved from https://www.politico.com/story/2012/06/wisconsin-recall-stokes-high-turnout-077085 [accessed 21 June 2024]

Council of Europe. (2018). Latvia electoral system. Retrieved from https://www.coe.int/en/web/electoral-assistance/elecdata-latvia [accessed 21 June 2024]

constitutionproject.org. (2016). Latvia's Constitution of 1922, Reinstated in 1991, with Amendments through 2016. Retrieved from https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Latvia_2016.pdf?lang=en [accessed 21 June 2024]

Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia. (2016). The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. Retrieved from https://www.satv.tiesa.gov.lv/en/2016/02/04/the-constitution-of-the-republic-of-latvia/ [accessed 21 June 2024]

Foundation Robert Schuman. (2011). The Latvians approve en masse the dissolution of their parliament.. Retrieved from https://old.robert-schuman.eu//en/doc/oee/oee-711-en.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Statutes, Regulations, Bills, and Gazette of British Columbia. (1996). Recall and Initiative Act. Retrieved from https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96398_00 [accessed 21 June 2024]

Statutes, Regulations, Bills, and Gazette of British Columbia. (1996). Constitution Act. Retrieved from https://bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96066_01 [accessed 21 June 2024]

Elections British Columbia. (2018, November 9). Recall and Initiative Amendment Act. Retrieved from chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rcl/recall-and-initiative-amendment-act-2018.pdf [accessed 11 February 2025]

Elections British Columbia. (2024). Recall. Retrieved from https://elections.bc.ca/events-services/recall/ [accessed 21 June 2024]

Elections British Columbia. (2023). Summary of Recall Petitions. Retrieved from https://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/rcl/Summary-of-Recall-Petitions.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Elections British Columbia. (2011). Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the Recall Petitions. Retrieved from https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2011-CEO-Recall-Report.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Political Database of the Americas. (2011). Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Retrieved from https://pdba.georgetown.edu/ElecSys/Venezuela/venezuela.html [accessed 21 June 2024]

constitutionproject.org. (2009). Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)'s Constitution of 1999 with Amendments through 2009. Retrieved from https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Venezuela_2009.pdf?lang=en [accessed 21 June 2024]

Welp, Y., & Whitehead, L. (2020). The Recall Revival and Its Mixed Implications for Democracy: Evidence from Latin America. The Politics of Recall Elections. doi: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-37610-9_9

European Parliament. (2017, December). The political crisis in Venezuela. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2017/608791/EPRS_BRI%282017%29608791_EN.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Geiseel, B. (2018). Recall in Germany: explaining the use of a local democratic innovation. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327748229_Recall_in_Germany_explaining_the_use_of_a_local_democratic_innovation

ResearchGate. (2020). Explaining Insitiutional Change Towards Recall In Germany. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339536918_Explaining_Institutional_Change_Towards_Recall_in_Germany

Bayerischer Landtag. (2024). The electoral system. Retrieved from https://www.bayern.landtag.de/en/members/state-elections-1/ [accessed 21 June 2024]

Bayern Landtag. (2014). Constitution of the Free State of Bavaria in the version announced on 15 December 1998. Retrieved from https://www.bayern.landtag.de/fileadmin/Internet_Dokumente/Sonstiges_P/BV_Verfassung_Englisch_formatiert_14-12-16.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Council of Local Authorities for International Relations. (2013). An Outline of Local Government in Japan. Retrieved from https://www.clair.or.jp/j/forum/pub/docs/m_fact_en02.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Council of Europe . (2019). REPORT ON THE RECALL OF MAYORS AND LOCAL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. Retrieved from https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/default.aspx?pdffile=CDL-AD(2019)011rev-e

Okamoto, M., & Serdult, U. (2020). Recall in Japan as a Measure of Vertical Accountability. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339535227_Recall_in_Japan_as_a_Measure_of_Vertical_Accountability [accessed 21 June 2024]

CÁMARA DE DIPUTADOS DEL H. CONGRESO DE LA UNIÓN. (2024). CONSTITUCIÓN POLÍTICA DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS. Retrieved from https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/CPEUM.pdf [accessed 21 June 2024]

Diario Oficial de la Federación. (2019, December 20). DECRETO por el que se declara reformadas y adicionadas diversas disposiciones de la Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos, en materia de Consulta Popular y Revocación de Mandato.. Retrieved from https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5582486&fecha=20/12/2019#gsc.tab=0 [accessed 21 June 2024]

Civicus Lens. (2022). President López Obrador fails to benefit from manipulating direct democracy mechanism. Retrieved from https://lens.civicus.org/mexico-recall-referendum-ruse-leaves-no-one-satisfied/ [accessed 21 June 2024]

FRANCE 24. (2022, January 18). Mexican presidential recall referendum wins enough support: poll body. Retrieved from https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220118-mexican-presidential-recall-referendum-wins-enough-support-poll-body [accessed 21 June 2024]

BBC News. (2022, April 11). López Obrador wins Mexico recall vote amid low turnout. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-61065967 [accessed 21 June 2024]

Last Updated: 3/6 11:40pm

An error occured while loading, please try again in a few minutes.