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Secretary of State Kevin Shelley said Gov. Gray Davis is ousted, he is likely to remain in office until mid-November, when the vote is certified.

While voters may assume that if the recall succeeds Davis will be sent packing in a few days, Shelley cautioned that that would be a ``very unlikely scenario.''

By law, Shelley must certify the results within 39 days of the election, or by Nov. 15 at the latest. He added that a study of the 33 statewide elections since 1973 showed that certification takes almost 39 days to complete, and that he didn't expect it to happen any faster for the recall.

``That could go outwards to 39 days,'' Shelley said at a news conference at the Sacramento County Registrar's office. ``Nov. 15 would be that last day.''

Consequently, Davis could hold the reins of power for as long as five weeks after being ousted, allowing him to make a variety of 11th-hour appointments, including powerful judgeships.
Once Shelley's office makes the results official, the winner of the replacement contest has 10 days to be sworn into office, meaning a new governor might not take over until late November.