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HomeElections CodeDiv. 11Ch. 3Art. 2§ 11220 Recall Petition Filing Deadlines

§ 11220 Recall Petition Filing Deadlines

Elections Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 11220 Recall Petition Filing Deadlines

This law tells you how many days you have to hand in a recall petition after the clerk (or Secretary of State for a state officer) says the form is correct, and the number of days depends on how many voters live in the area.

Key Takeaways

  • •You must file the recall petition during normal office hours.
  • •The deadline starts when the clerk (or Secretary of State for a state officer) says the petition meets the required form.
  • •The deadline is 40, 60, 90, 120, or 160 days depending on whether the area has under 1,000; 1,000‑4,999; 5,000‑9,999; 10,000‑49,999; or 50,000 + registered voters.
  • •The voter count used is the most recent registration report filed by the county elections official.

Example

A tiny town with 800 registered voters wants to recall its mayor. After the town clerk checks the petition and says the wording is right, the town must file the petition at the clerk’s office within 40 days.

Because the town has fewer than 1,000 voters, the law gives them 40 days to turn in the petition after getting the go‑ahead from the clerk.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 11220 Recall Petition Filing Deadlines

(a) A recall petition shall be submitted to the elections official for filing in his or her office during normal office hours as posted within the following number of days after the clerk or, in the case of a recall of a state officer, the Secretary of State, notifies the proponents that the form and wording of the petition meets the requirements of Article 3 (commencing with Section 11040) of Chapter 1: (1) Forty days if the electoral jurisdiction has less than 1,000 registered voters. (2) Sixty days if the electoral jurisdiction has less than 5,000 registered voters but at least 1,000. (3) Ninety days if the electoral jurisdiction has less than 10,000 registered voters but at least 5,000. (4) One hundred twenty days if the electoral jurisdiction has less than 50,000 registered voters but at least 10,000. (5) One hundred sixty days if the electoral jurisdiction has 50,000 registered voters or more. (b) For purposes of this section, the number of registered voters shall be that which was reported at the last report of registration by the county elections official to the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 2187 and prior to a finding of the elections official or Secretary of State that no alterations are required in the form of the recall petition pursuant to Section 11042. (Enacted by Stats. 1994, Ch. 920, Sec. 2.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

petitionjurisdictionregistrationnetportsecretary

Related Statutes

  • § 9210 Petition Filing Requirements
  • § 9215 Initiative Petition Requirements
  • § 9255 Charter Commission Voter Submission
  • § 9030 Petition Signature Filing Rules
  • § 9238 Referendum Petition Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Elections Code. Section 11220.
View Official Source