Jun 25 2008
Louisiana Recall Checklist
We’ve been hearing from lots of people who want to recall their legislator and believe me, we want to see them all go. But… everyone, please, take a deep breath and pause long enough to get organized. The Aaron Broussard recall was a perfect example of what not to do. People were outraged, furious, and wanted him gone. Some folks carried around recall petitions, and a few enterprising folks walked their blocks or even a few more. And it was all sound and fury, signifying nothing. The last thing you want is for your legislator to easily survive a recall effort. He’ll be so entrenched that you’ll never get rid of him.
Forgotston has a great post on this to which we’ve been referring people. Some key advice:
Identify those willing to sign the recall petition before starting the formal procedure of actually circulating a petition to get the names signed
This can be done best using the voter list phone numbers organized by streets.
This is NOT a complete checklist, but it may serve as a general roadmap - it’s the plan devised by John Roberts over at Recall Pay Raise Tucker:
- Get a good leadership team - ideally your entire leadership team including the chairman and vice-chairman and your top volunteers should live in the district.
- Find out how many registered voters are in that district. You need 1/3 of them to sign, and the clock starts ticking the minute you send in your petition, so don’t send it in yet.
- Get a list of registered voters from the Secretary of State’s office. The cost is one penny per name, and you want both the inactive and the active voters. You can get it as a computer file so it is easily transferred it into Excel or Access. We can help you work with this if you are not very computer savvy. The list may cost a few hundred dollars, but if you get a dozen people to pitch in $25 each, or some similar plan, then you’re all set.
- Get your volunteers together - LegeWatch.com is encouraging those who sign up here to help a recall effort even if it’s not their own district. We’re growing an extensive list and while we’ve promised those who sign up not to share the list to protect their privacy, we will gladly contact people on behalf of recall campaigns.
- Break your registered voter list into manageable sections. Have your volunteers phone those people to see if they will sign, and then report back. In your Excel or Access file, just tag those records as signers.
- Now send in your petition. The clock starts ticking; you’ve got 180 days.
- Print out that list, and send people out to collect the signatures.
This way you have the least effort with the most gain - more time is spent in your air conditioned home making phone calls than beating the streets collecting signatures of people who may not even be registered voters or in your district. You end up with a list of valid signatures.
Finally - learn what the legal requirements are - you have to comply with campaign finance laws and regulations. We can try to steer you in the right direction but we are not legal advisers, so do your research - it’s CRITICAL.
This has been done before, and it can be done again.
[Note: I added credit to John Roberts for this roadmap and added a link to the Sec of State website.]
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Thank you. This is EXACTLY the information that I have been looking for.
I looked into what it would take to recall my senator, Derrick Shepherd, and I’m reeling from the shear number of signatures needed - a whopping 14,910. There is no way I could do this alone. I’m not sure it’s even doable with 10 people.
Also, district 3 is such a massive and strangely shaped district.
http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Senators/CurrentMaps/3.pdf
My district stretches from Spanish Fort, spans a large swath of lake Ponchartrain, follows the canal to the East on down to Marigny/Bywater while encompassing Milneburg, Gentilly, and Ponchartrain Park to the West. Then, it skips over the river to Algiers Point, encompasses a narrow band of the West Bank along the river, and spans generously over Marrerro and Harvey*
I have no issue with working my side of the river. But, I’m devastatingly lost when it comes to the naighborhoods on the other side.
It’s a shame. I’m irritated with Senator Shepherd for having the nerve to vote for the pay raise. Especially after his indictment and embarrassing ties to the “Family Dollar” Jeffersons. Just what has he done to deserve more tax dollars lately?
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1213767124113800.xml&coll=1
* I think that’s Harvey. I’m not so hot with my West Bank geography.
It may not be such a bad idea if everyone collecting signatures for recalls wear a button or something. If a shirt or button will point out they are collecting signatures it may help. If you carried around a clip board and wore your shirt/button everytime you left your house, you may be able to get extra signatures. I know that the Bass Pro Shop in Denham Springs and the Cabelas in GOnzales have tens of thousands visit each weekend. Also, if the signature colletors are at the rally. Just a suggestion.
I have an embroidery machine at home. I would be more than happy to embroider shirts for signture collectors if someone pays for the shirts, I will donate the embroidery. I can also order shirts from a local wholesaler if needed. Let me know
Actually, we’ll have Greedy Gator Legislator tee shirts for sale on this site tomorrow!
These are some great starting points for staging a recall. I was planning on starting one against Franklin Foil but was pretty much going in blind. I did go to the Sec. of State and picked up a recall packet which is everything you need to get started. I voiced interest in this in the forums and Monica offered to help (Thanks!) but then saw on the 6:00 news that Rep. Foil has a recall formally started against him. I am going to call The SOS office tomorrow to see if they can tell me who is organizing that recall, as my wife and I would love to help. I would also like to refer them here for the group help and pointers in the article above. I do have this packet available for anyone who needs one to get started. Under the Baton Rouge forums Monica also proposed a meeting sometime next week for B.R. area residents to get organized for both the rally and recalls so I hope everyone in the area will respond. Look forward to getting the shirts for the rally. This whole sordid affair has been mindboggling but perhaps it may be just the ticket to bring REAL REFORM to Louisiana!
Hi,
We are preparing our signs.
ONE is:
NO VETO
NO VOTE
Another one:
GAS-$4 a gallon
Lobby Meals-$50
Legislators pay-$50,000
Promises & Veto-PRICELESS
Hope everyone passes the RALLY INFORMATION ALONG TO OTHERS!
I am so pleased with everyone working so well together. FYI, I am organizing a meeting for the Baton Rouge people next week. I was hoping for either an early morning meeting like 8 a.m. or an early evening meeting at 6 p.m. on July 1st. I need some input from the BR folks as to which time would be better. I’m hoping to coordinate where we put up our signs in BR and how many signs we have. Also, I’ve e-mailed John Roberts about recall tucker signs and he said that they are in the works. Keep up the good work!
Monica, email me the details so I can send it to the list, it’s about time to send out an update.
Laura,
I want to have a Baton Rouge area district meeting next week on Tuesday July 1, 2007 at 8 a.m. at the Coffee Call Coffeehouse located next to the Wal-Mart on IH 10 and College Dr. TLB suggested we get a district sign up table at the rally for people to sign on volunteer sheets BY DISTRICT. This will enable us to “hook up” people in the same area who want to work on the DISTRICT TEAM #68 or 86 or 70. That way the district organizers can get the updates from our team leaders from each organization, such as you, Steve, and John. It will cut out on the time each of you have to repeat the same information to different volunteers. I’m hoping that the BR meeting next week will give us time to coordinate getting this sign up done. Let me know if you have any other ideas. Thanks.
Thank you sooooo much for this info. I’m so ready to get going, but I didn’t want to screw up, and now with this checklist I at least have a clue. If there’s anyone else in District 59 who would like to tell Eddie Lambert where to go and how to get there, please contact me via this post and let’s get this show on the road!!!
Can’t wait to meet y’all on July 7!!!
Monica,
Does the Baton Rouge area meeting include the reps and senators from Livingston Parish, such as Dale Erdey and MJ Smiley? If they do, please let me know, because I would like to be involved! =)
Nicole,
The meeting is for anyone living in the area’s near or around BR. It includes anyone who wants to get together and join efforts and discuss what plans we have for the immediate future such as the rally, t-shirts, sign placement, etc. We are going to focus on the current recall efforts so that we don’t get spread too thin. Once we get one or two senators recalled, we’ll have all the kinks worked out and we can get started on the next plan of action. If you are free, please join us!
Next Tuesday at 8 a.m, right? I’ll try my best to be there. I have to be at work at 10, but I can stay for a little while!
So has anyone seen this yet? An official petition has been issued to recall Bobby Jindal. I personally don’t agree that he is the person that needs to be recalled, but I wanted to give the link to the news story for others who wanted to read it:
http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=8566486
We have to remember in the uprising against the legislature that while Jindal has not vetoed the pay raise, he also does not agree with it. He just took office 6 months ago, and being the governor involves a learning process. I think Mr. Jindal is trying to learn, and this is certainly a heck of a way to learn what it means to be governor of this state. I sincerely believe that if we give him time, Mr. Jindal will end up doing good things for this state. I say give him some more time.