League of Women Voters of California and California Common Cause:

“Under current law, an off cycle special election may be held for a recall, in which voters are presented with two questions – whether an officer should be recalled and who should replace the officeholder. While the first question requires a majority vote to remove the elected official, the second question allows a replacement candidate to be chosen by a slim plurality. Our state’s most important leaders can therefore be picked at low turnout elections with non-representative electorates, and replacements can be put into office with low plurality support, rather than a majority of voters in the election. Furthermore, voters have expressed deep confusion as to whether they are permitted to vote for a replacement candidate if they vote ‘no’ on the first question. The perplexing system can cause people to refrain from answering the second question, thereby disenfranchising voters, and contributing to an undervote for replacement candidates…SCA 1…would retain access to the recall, but in a way that should ensure recall outcomes are democratic and broadly supported and will help to eliminate recalls that are frivolous or degrade democratic legitimacy.”