by Erin Guo
A recall election deciding whether current California Governor Gavin Newsom will stay in office takes place today, September 14, 2021. The recall process was created in 1911 and has only been successful once, when Californians removed Gov. Gray Davis, replacing him with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003.
The recall comes amid criticism over how he has handled the pandemic: from imposing restrictive stay-at-home orders that shuttered many schools and businesses (while he dined with lobbyists at an expensive restaurant) to crime, homelessness, and a rising cost of living in the state. The four leading candidates in the race to replace Newson are conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, Democratic YouTube star Kevin Paffrath, Republican and former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, and Republican businessman John Cox.
However, recent polls suggest that this recall is more likely to fail than succeed. According to a survey conducted by FiveThirtyEight, a prominent polling organization, as of yesterday, 41.5% of Californians want the recall to succeed, whereas 57% want to keep him in office. Polling booths close tonight at 8 PM and the results of the election will be released after all of the votes have been tallied.
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