The push to unseat Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price has gained traction as Save Alameda For Everyone (SAFE) has successfully gathered the requisite signatures to trigger a recall vote. According to NBC Bay Area, the county registrar confirmed that out of the 123,374 signatures collected, 74,757 were deemed valid, surpassing the required minimum to proceed with the recall effort.
Despite a substantial number of disqualifications, with nearly 50,000 signatures being tossed out, SAFE has managed to cross the threshold needed to bring the issue before the voters. Brenda Grisham, principal officer for SAFE, heralded the occasion as a "historic moment for the community" in a statement obtained by NBC Bay Area.
Opposing the recall, Pamela Price's campaign lawyer Jim Sutton has raised legal challenges, contending that the recall drive is flawed for several reasons. Sutton argues that some signature gatherers were not Alameda County residents, and that the county did not adhere to verifying signatures within a 10-day deadline as mandated. As reported by NBC Bay Area, Sutton plans to present his arguments to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors at their meeting on April 30, where the results are set to be certified.
In light of these developments, SAFE is lobbying for an early special election, in hopes of addressing what they perceive as ongoing damage under Price's administration. "A lot of damage can be done between now and November and we want to mitigate that as much as possible," Grishma told NBC Bay Area. Political analyst Larry Gerston, however, suggested to the same source that the timing of the election could significantly influence its outcome.
The next steps for the recall process are expected to unfold at the April 30 Board of Supervisors meeting, where the board will be compelled by Elections Code § 11242 to acknowledge the certification of the signatures and schedule a special election. More details about the SAFE coalition and its campaign can be found on its Twitter page and official website. District Attorney Price has yet to issue an official statement regarding the recall announcement.