On Wednesday, the recall campaign handed in all the signatures collected to try to recall the disgraced Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon. The campaign required 566,857 signatures before it could get the recall on the ballot.
The campaign said it collected 717,000 signatures, which is well beyond the number needed to sign the petition to be valid. However, for the recall to appear on the electoral ballot, 566,857 of the signatures have to be validated.
They sought additional signatures to ensure they'd have enough regardless of the circumstances it took to place an election to recall the vote. There is a chance that some of these signatures may be rejected for various reasons. However, the campaign to recall Gascon is sure that they'll be able to gather enough valid signatures.
Despite the increase in crime that has swept through Los Angeles County since Gascon became district attorney, there are still many supporters of his controversial policies. The Santa Clarita Valley Signal writes:
“This will likely take several weeks … In the meantime, we remain focused on the work of keeping communities safe and creating a more equitable justice system, as we have been since day one.” said Elise Moore, a spokeswoman of the pro-Gascon campaign.
The recall campaign surpassed the required signatures to get on the ballot since many people feel unsafe. FOXLA, KTLA, and other local news outlets have covered Gascon's anti-crime policies in light of the rising violent crime within the county.
The Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Hatami, a leading voice in the fight to recall Gascon, said to The Signal Wednesday:
“This was a lengthy 18-month trek. Thirty-seven cities and 98% of (deputy district attorneys also known as) DDAs and now 717,000 Angelenos have said ‘Enough is enough. George is it time to get out of here.'”
“We all joined forces to fight for public safety and victim rights. Today, we're one step closer to taking our county and city back to where they were.”
If Gascon is able to be recalled, the most likely candidate to be LA County DA is Deputy DA John McKinney. Gascon is McKinney's current boss, however, like Hatami, McKinney, he's not hesitant to voice his displeasure about Gascon's policies, which have made Los Angeles an unsafe environment.
A spokesperson on behalf of the petition campaign Tim Lineberger, told The Signal:
“We believe that George Gascon's policies and refusal to enforce the law has cost the residents of Los Angeles an extraordinary amount, not just financially and in terms of quality of life … but also with the cost of human life, which you really can't put a dollar on … For the sheer sake of public safety alone, this is not only a worthwhile effort, but it's a necessary one.”
After the recall election of San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin, the recall Gascon campaign was more confident than ever that they could receive enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva did not mince his words during his election night-watch celebration. When he informed the crowd that Boudin was officially removed from office, he said: “George Gascon, you're next.”
The officers and police are literally shackled because of Gascon's policies, however, people within Los Angeles County are fed up. If these petitions are accepted they will be voted out in huge numbers to convey a message to the left-wing “activists” — that security in a community and County must be the top priority.
If the signatures have been verified, the government officials will decide what time it is expected that the Gascon recall will be on the election ballot. This could happen in a special vote or at the time of the 2022 General Election in November.
