Effort to recall Idaho Gov. Little fails
Published at
Ruth Brown, Idaho Statesman
(Idaho Statesman) – The effort by some Idahoans to recall Gov. Brad Little after he issued a stay-home order in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic was unsuccessful.
Organizers filed a certified petition in June with the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office to recall Little, but that was just the first step in the process of recalling a sitting governor. The group had until Aug. 11 to collect 183,523 signatures, meaning 20% of the Idahoans who were registered to vote in the general election.
Had the signatures been verified, a special election would have been held. Without the signatures, the recall request cannot move forward.
The Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Wednesday that it had not received the signatures by the 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline.
On Wednesday, the website launched as part of the effort to recall Little had been taken down.
The recall effort largely revolved around Little’s actions after the pandemic took hold in Idaho and the mandatory closures of businesses throughout the state.
As of Tuesday, the state had confirmed 23,999 cases of coronavirus in Idaho and 248 people have died since the pandemic began. The state has experienced a surge in cases since reopening from the March and April closures.