Will the Recall Arpaio Movement Get Enough Votes to Force a Special Election?

May 28, 2013
1:06 PM

With only two days left before filing a final petition to force a special election, supporters of a campaign to recall Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio entered its final push to gather 90,000 remaining signatures. Supporters are hoping that last week’s federal court decision against Arpaio and his office stating that they racially profiled Latino citizens can get them the the signatures they need.

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A local report out of Phoenix shared more details.

Phoenix News Times’ Stephen Lemons visited “Camp Arpaio.” He wrote:

Respect Arizona campaign manager Lilia Alvarez said her group would be camping out Sunday and Monday nights, and would be either in front of the BOS auditorium or across the street at Cesar Chavez Plaza till 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, May 30, which is the deadline for the effort to turn in its signatures to Maricopa County Elections.

Alvarez estimates that the recall now needs 90,000 more signatures to have a cushion in addition to the 335,317 necessary to force a recall.

“We’re really pushing now for Arpaio to resign,” she told me. “After this ruling, we should not have to spend the taxpayer dollars to have a recall special election.”

Alvarez was referring to the ruling handed down by federal Judge G. Murray Snow on Friday, finding that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office racially profiles Latinos and ordering Arpaio’s office to stop.

She said Snow’s 142-page ruling had given the recall a boost, but whether it would be enough to put the recall drive over the top remains an open question.

“If we’re under the amount necessary to trigger an election, we’re going to say that,” she explained. “We’re not going to turn them in unless we hit our mark.”

The Recall Arpaio campaign has set up the following locations for Maricopa County residents to sign the petition:

1. Respect Arizona Office: 5110 N. Central Ave., Suite 330
Hours: Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Monday – Wednesday 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

2. Citizens for a Better Arizona Office: 1615 North 36th St.
Hours: Monday – Wednesday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

3. Snow and Carpio Office: 55 E Thomas Rd.
Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

4. Camp Recall Arpaio: 205 W. Jefferson St.–County Plaza just outside the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ Auditorium
Hours: Sunday 5 p.m. – Thursday 5 p.m. (Open 24 Hours!)