Auditor–RSD Recall is 3 “Separate” Petitions, Have Own Requirements

Perhaps a wrinkle in the efforts by those attempting to recall 3 Richland School board members?

Each petition is its own separate entity

While some might think there's 'one' big petition to recall Misipati Semi Bird, Audra Byrd, and Kari Wiliams, it's not that case.

A judge recently ruled the recall effort can move forward, the petitioners are claiming various alleged 'laws' were broken by the three board members, including claiming they illegally held a vote to make masks optional in the RSD.

According to the Benton County Auditor, Elections Division, each of the three petitions is treated separately.  The supporters must gather their own signature requirements, which are 25% of each member's votes in their most recent election.

For example, Semi Bird received 11,196 votes, so petitioners would have to get 25 percent of those votes to sign off. But those will not count towards the petitions facing Audra Byrd and Kari Williams. In the case of Semi Bird, 25 percent of 11,196 is 2,799 signees.

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Audra Byrd got 11,385 so that petition would require a similar number. Williams, who was elected in 2019, got 9,983.

That means petition supporters will have to have people sign 3 different petitions.