Voters should ponder recall vote

On Nov. 2, voters will be asked to vote whether we should amend the Illinois constitution by adding a provision for a special election to recall a governor and for a special election to elect a successor governor. Voters should consider the many pros and cons of this issue before making a decision.

The pros include, in short, giving more power to the people to remove a sitting governor. The cons include additional election expenses, that an impeachment process does not incur, and possible abuses of the privilege by well-financed special interest groups. The difference between recall and impeachment is that recall allows the voters to remove a public official during a term, while impeachment allows legislators to remove a public official during a term, as we all witnessed when Governor Rod Blagojevich was impeached by the General Assembly in January 2009.

Eighteen states permit recall of state officials but only twice in history have voters successfully recalled a sitting governor: in 2003 in California and in 1921 in North Dakota. California voters have tried 32 times to recall a governor and failed. In 1988 Arizona voters filed enough signatures to trigger a recall, but the governor was impeached before the scheduled recall election took place.

The League of Women Voters has not taken an official position on this issue because we haven't had the opportunity to study the issue in depth. However, we have published an informational pamphlet that could help educate voters on the issue. For more information, please visit the website of the League of Women Voters of Illinois at www.lwvil.org.

Ginger Wheeler

President, League of Women Voters of Glen Ellyn