[kellynla]

The recall with all practical purposes is a done deal. We should hit the 900K mark this week. Now the hard part begins. Getting just one and only one conservative candidate to run so as not to split up the vote to allow another dimwit to get elected.

[ken5050]

Can you answer this, please...after the petitions get certified, and polling shows that Gray is toast..what's to prevent the Dems from inducing Davis to resign...that makes Bustamonte the governor, and the recall is moot...it goes away...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We should hit the 900K mark this week

I know folks that intend to sign but have not yet done so!

[heleny]

We should hit the 900K mark this week.

The reporting period for the June 23 Sec. of State report has already ended (five business days before the report). I heard Costa on the radio yesterday saying something about having turned in 600k or so to the counties. The report next week should reflect that.

Kevin Shelley may try some tricks to delay the election, legally or illegally. Some possibilities:
Since the counties must report every 30 days, Shelley waits until the July 23 report to say there are enough unverified signatures, since there won't be enough in the June 23 report. Counties have 30 days to count the signatures (August 22 if they start counting July 23), and Shelley has 10 more days to certify (September 2, since Sept 1 is Labor Day).

If they push certification to September 3 or 4, within 180 days of the March 2, 2004, primary election day, then Bustamante can hold the recall election in March.

Some ways to delay that I can think of:

• frivolous litigation: recall signers didn't know what they were signing... duh!, or anything else that will take a few days for a judge to throw out
• lack of state budget shuts down the counties and Secretary of State's office, so they can't count, verify, or certify signatures
• late-arriving mail containing more recall petitions "resets" the date counting