Recall Special: Countdown California

A recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom is set for Sept. 14, and mail-in ballots are already out. Though California is an overwhelmingly blue state, it's not a certainty Newsom will survive the recall. Reasons abound, including apathy and a lack of awareness that many predict could lead to a low voter turn out. So, how did we get here? And what could a Newsom recall mean for the state? We answer those questions and more in the hour-long special "Countdown California" from KPCC in Los Angeles.

We explain the stakes, what's on the ballot, and what could happen after the election, regardless of the outcome. Join host Austin Cross along with political observers and reporters from public radio newsrooms across California for this in-depth discussion.

PART 1: How to Vote

Yep, we’re at it again. Eighteen years after California voted to remove Governor Gray Davis from office and replace him with an action star - ballots have now arrived in our mailboxes, giving us an option to oust Gavin Newsom. It’s not a complicated ballot - there are only two questions - but still there’s a lot of confusion.

The first questions asks: Do you want to recall Newsom, yes or no?

The second: Who should replace him if more than 50% of voters say “yes” to throwing him out of office?

For the second question, there are 46 candidates to choose from. But, under the state constitution, Gavin Newsom cannot be one of them.

Still confused? We’re here to help. KPCC’s Libby Denkmann and CalMatters’ Laurel Rosenhall join Austin Cross for some Recall 101.

PART 2: How Did We Get Here?

You’ve probably noticed: people in California are a little sick and tired of all sorts of things. It’s been a long year-and-a-half. But the current effort to fire Gov. Gavin Newsom got going before COVID-19 was on most of our radars. The petition started in February of 2020 and issues like the state’s support of sanctuary cities — not The French Laundry “incident”— were driving it. And not only Republicans signed it.

To unpack all of this, KPCC’s Austin Cross talks to Marisa Lagos, a correspondent for KQED’s California Politics and Government Desk and co-host of the Political Breakdown; Mike Madrid, political consultant and co-founder of the Lincoln Project and partner at GrassrootsLab; and Nicole Nixon, the politics reporter for CapRadio in Sacramento.

PART 3: What Happens Next?

It’s not exactly clear how this will all turn out. People have already voted and there are more democrats out there who are NOT in favor of the recall. Still, there is a possibility we could have a sudden change of leadership in this state. If that happens, what could a new governor really do? To discuss, KPCC’s Austin Cross talks to Zach Courser. He heads the Policy Lab at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. And Jessica Levinson, a law professor at Loyola Law School and a contributor for KCRW in Los Angeles.

For more coverage, visit the Voter Game Plan Recall Guide on LAist.com >>