DENVER — The group trying to recall Democratic Governor Jared Polis could choose not to turn in the signatures they’ve gathered. And that might be a smart strategy.
The poorly-funded effort to recall Polis is declining whether to say if organizers are even approaching the 631,266 signatures needed as they approach a September 6th deadline.
No petition signature-gathering effort in Colorado history has needed so many signatures. The amount represents 25% of the votes cast in the last election.
“We have every intention of getting enough signatures,” Dismiss Polis spokeswoman Karen Kataline told 9NEWS.
“We just don’t know yet,” Kataline said.
Other petition gathering efforts this year have released periodic signature-gathering totals to prove momentum. Kataline said the Dismiss Polis recall may release numbers early in September.
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Kataline confirmed that recall organizers will not submit the gathered signatures to the Secretary of State for verification if they believe they will fall short of the required 631,266 valid signatures.
State law specifies that any voter who signs a recall petition cannot sign another recall petition for the same elected official during their term in office.
“We’re protecting those signatures and those people,” Kataline said. “Otherwise, it would render all those signatures unable to sign again.”
Future recall efforts would need to recontact signatories to gather fresh signatures, but the voter information gleaned from an unsuccessful recall could lay the groundwork for new efforts.
The Dismiss Polis recall will announce the total number of signatures gathered if the attempt fails, Kataline said.
Kataline brushed off a question about whether the longshot recall was never intended to succeed but rather serve as a rallying cry and organizing mechanism for conservatives swept out of power in Colorado.
“Unlike what’s been accused of, this is not merely an information-gathering proposition,” Kataline said. “We are serious about doing this recall.”
Several Republican-led recalls of state legislators have already fizzled out before signatures were submitted.
Asked whether a series of recall attempts against Polis are likely, Kataline said it was possible.
“Because I guarantee you that there are people that are enough riled up that they might just do another recall in the future,” Kataline said.
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