Vote no 

If Gavin Newsom does not receive more that 50 percent of the vote on Sept. 14, one of his opponents can become governor with as little as 5 percent of the vote.

That's right, a majority is needed to vote Newsom out of office, but a majority is not needed to choose his successor. The recall system is broken.

From the 46 candidates running, the one who gets the most votes out of the whole pack will become California's next governor, that is until the next election for governor a year from now.

Do we want to replace Newsom so badly that we will settle on someone who does not have broad public support? I don't. Especially when a majority of the voters can replace Newsom in 2022 with the candidate of their choice.

It's seems crazy to vote a governor out because we don't agree with his policies. He has done nothing illegal. He has partnered with state senators and Assembly persons who we elected with a majority of the vote to govern us fairly.

Republicans can't restrict the vote in California like they are doing in dozens of states. But they can twist the vote in California by using the "recall" to elect one of their own with a tiny minority of the votes.

Republicans, who can't win a statewide office like the governorship in a democratic election, are behind this recall. Nationwide they are spending millions of dollars to steal the election from the majority of the voters in California.

What can we do to save our state?

There is an easy solution. On the ballot you will receive in the mail there are two questions for you to answer. The First: Shall Gavin Newsom be recalled (removed) from the office of governor? Yes or no.

If you, and a majority of the voters, vote no, Newsom will complete his current term and have to run in the 2022 primary election against candidates of all parties in a true democratic election. The top two then run against each other for governor that November.

If you vote yes to remove Newsom, you are asked to choose one candidate from a list of 46 to replace him, if he is recalled.

This means that you know and trust the person you are voting for to do a better job than Newsom working with our Democratic Legislature. I don't see anyone on that list of 46 who can do a better job. When you read all the names on the list, I bet you will agree.

If it matters to you what happens in California in the next year, you will vote not to remove a democratically elected governor. In so doing, you will stop the other party from perverting our election process.

It's not whether you like Newsom or not, but whether you value democracy enough to let it truly work in November 2022. Δ

Gale McNeeley wrote to New Times from Santa Maria. Send comments through the editor at [email protected].