Mayor Correia recall process officially begins in Fall River

The recall process has officially begun in Fall River.

The signed affidavit calling for the recall of Mayor Jasiel Correia II has been officially approved by the board of elections Monday morning.

The recall group will now have 20 days to obtain just over 2,500 signatures (five percent of the city’s registered voters).

A recall election will occur if the correct amount of signatures are received and certified and the Mayor does not resign from office in 5 days from the certification.

The official recall charter language includes:

Recall Petition: Any 10 registered voters of the city may file with the city clerk an affidavit containing the name of the officer or officers sought to be recalled and a statement of the grounds for recall. The recall petition shall be returned and filed with the city clerk within 20 days after the filing of the affidavit and shall have been signed by at least 5 percent of the registered voters of the city who shall add to their signatures the street and number of their residences. The city clerk shall submit the petition to the board of election commissioners in the city and the board shall certify the number of signatures which are names of registered voters of the city.

Recall Election: If the petition shall be found and certified by the city clerk to be sufficient, the city clerk shall submit the same with the clerk’s certificate to the city council without delay, and said city council shall give written notice of the receipt of the certificate to the officer or officers sought to be recalled, and shall, if the officer (or officers) does not resign within 5 days thereafter, thereupon order a recall election to be held on a Tuesday fixed by said city council at least 65 days after the date of the city clerk’s certificate that a sufficient petition is filed; provided, however, that if any other city election is to occur within 75 days after the date of the certificate, the city clerk shall postpone the holding of said recall election to the date of such other election.

Any person who has been recalled from an office, or who has resigned from office while recall proceedings were pending against said office holder shall not be appointed to any office within 2 years after such recall or such resignation.