Using city of West Palm Beach as an example these are the two basic approaches Americans have to control their gov’t.
Adding Citizen Referendum Quorum targets to the U.S. Census will make sure people know how many registered voters hold local, state & Federal elected officials accountable.
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Yes, the West Palm Beach City Charter has provisions for both citizen referendum and elected official recall.
Citizen referendum
A citizen referendum is a process by which citizens can directly vote on a proposed law or ordinance. To initiate a referendum, a group of citizens must first gather signatures from a certain percentage of registered voters. If enough signatures are gathered, the proposed law or ordinance is placed on the ballot for a vote. If a majority of voters approve the referendum, it becomes law.
Elected official recall
Recall is a process by which voters can remove an elected official from office before the end of their term. To initiate a recall, a group of citizens must first gather signatures from a certain percentage of registered voters. If enough signatures are gathered, the recall election is held. If a majority of voters vote to recall the official, they are removed from office.
The West Palm Beach City Charter specifically states that:
The people of the City of West Palm Beach reserve the power at their option to adopt or reject any ordinance, the initiative, and to recall any elective officer of the City.
The charter also outlines the specific procedures for initiating and conducting referendums and recalls.
It is important to note that there are some restrictions on the use of referendums and recalls in West Palm Beach. For example, referendums cannot be used to initiate or amend the city charter, and recalls cannot be initiated against an official who has been in office for less than six months.
Overall, the West Palm Beach City Charter gives citizens a significant amount of power to directly participate in the government through referendums and recalls.
Citizen referendum and elected official recall in West Palm Beach
Citizen referendum and elected official recall are two important tools that citizens of West Palm Beach can use to participate in their government.
Citizen referendum
A citizen referendum is a process by which citizens can directly vote on a proposed law or ordinance. This means that you can have a direct say in the laws that govern your community.
To initiate a referendum in West Palm Beach, you and a group of other citizens must first gather signatures from at least 10% of registered voters. Once you have gathered enough signatures, the proposed law or ordinance will be placed on the ballot for a vote. If a majority of voters approve the referendum, it becomes law.
Elected official recall
Recall is a process by which voters can remove an elected official from office before the end of their term. This means that you can hold elected officials accountable if they are not serving the best interests of the community.
To initiate a recall in West Palm Beach, you and a group of other citizens must first gather signatures from at least 15% of registered voters. Once you have gathered enough signatures, a recall election will be held. If a majority of voters vote to recall the official, they are removed from office.
How to find your city charter
The West Palm Beach City Charter is the document that outlines the basic structure and powers of the city government. It is important to understand the city charter because it will tell you what the specific requirements are for initiating referendums and recalls.
To find the West Palm Beach City Charter, you can visit the city’s website or contact the city clerk’s office.
How powerful is 10% of registered voters?
10% of registered voters is a powerful group of people. It is enough to initiate a referendum in West Palm Beach.
For example, if West Palm Beach has 100,000 registered voters, you would only need to gather 10,000 signatures to initiate a referendum. This means that a relatively small group of people can have a big impact on the government.
By understanding citizen referendum and elected official recall, you can have a more active voice in your community government.
| West Palm Beach | 12,000 signatures |
| Palm Beach Island | 1,000 signatures |
| Palm Beach | 100,000 signatures |
| Florida | 900,000 signatures |
| New York State | 2,500,000 signatures |
| New York City | 280,000 signatures |
| San Fran | 42,000 signatures |
| Portland | 48,000 signatures |
| North Dakota | 10,000 signatures |
| South Dakota | 12.000 signatures |
