I had a couple of factual questions about the recall, so starting this thread in General Questions rather than posting in the one in Politics and Elections.
If Question 1 (i.e. whether Newsom should be recalled) passes, is he removed and replaced immediately? I assume there must be at least some minor delay for the relevant authorities to certify the result. What specifically triggers him going from being Governor to being not Governor?
If the vote on Question 1 is close, can Newsom (or anyone else) request a recount? If there is a recount, who’s Governor while it goes on?
I happen to be working a temp gig with the CA Secretary of State, on the Voter Hotline (help them find polling places, provide contact info for county elections offices, etc.).
The deadline for election certification is Oct 22. Any voter can request a recount, but this would not delay certification of results.
Once election results are certified (E+38), if the recall succeeds, the replacement candidate with the most votes assumes office.
I assume then, it follows the federal model - the winning candidate is sworn in (if Newsom loses) in a ceremony schedule TBD, so that would be the moment at which he/she takes over? Is it fancy, or just a bunch of people gathered in an office. Who swears in governors?
Based on a news article I found about Newsom’s inauguration, the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court did the honors on that occasion,so I’d think that’s probably the usual.
It would normally be the chief justice, but as at the federal level, that’s just a social nicety (at least in California, where the state constitution just lumps the governor into a generic rule that all public officials and employees have to take an oath).
As an example - when Lyndon Johnson became president, it was technically the moment JFK died; but he was officially sworn in an hour and a half later, on Air Force One by a federal judge, Sarah T. Hughes.
So presumably, the swearing-in oath is administered by an agent of the state, a judge…
Perhaps the most extraordinary swearing in of a US president was of Calvin Coolidge, on the death of Warren Harding. Coolidge was sworn in by his father, a notary public and justice of the peace.
Schwarzenegger was the first to win a governor’s recall election in CA. Here’s a description I found:
The 56-year-old Austrian immigrant took the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol before an audience of 7,500 dignitaries and supporters — as millions more around the world watched the event live on television.
Schwarzenegger’s wife, Maria Shriver, held the Bible while California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George administered the oath.
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The ceremony, while steeped in tradition, was void of the pageantry often associated with California inaugurations.
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Later in the day, Schwarzenegger was to attend three events: a luncheon inside the Capitol rotunda for state and federal officials, a private family gathering across the street and an invitation-only reception sponsored by the state Chamber of Commerce.
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Although Schwarzenegger’s ceremony was more low-key than previous ones, there was plenty of star power, with guests including Dennis Miller, Jamie Lee Curtis, Danny DeVito and Rob Lowe.