I was at the UAW hall on Thursday evening making calls to voters in the 51st district, asking them if they supported the recall of Rep. Paul Scott. I have volunteered countless hours to this campaign which started in July. I was very encouraged Thursday night in my calling because I talked to many voters who were in support of the recall.
While I was there, one union organizer stopped by to chat with the two campaign managers about a court case. I was busy working and didn't realize until I got home and read the headlines, that the very campaign I was working on had hit a major snag!
Rep. Scott had filed an appeal to the language on the recall petitions prior to the end of the petition drive. On Thursday, an appeals court judge reversed a lower court's refusal to stop the recall. This decision now goes back to a lower court for a new ruling.
Several issues are at stake here. First, if the lower court rules in favor of Scott, it means that all 12,000 signatures that were gathered were gathered prematurely and would have to be thrown out. Next, The ballots for the November 8th election have already been printed, including the absentee ballots that have already been sent out to voters. Several voters I spoke with on Thursday have already voted by absentee ballot and sent the ballots back. How would the state deal with this? Would these voters be disenfranchised for this election?
The Recall Paul Scott campaign managers are not throwing in the towel just yet. Just last Wednesday (the day before the court ruling), they held a very successful fundraiser for the campaign, where approximately 100 people were in attendance. They are still asking for volunteers to make calls and canvass neighborhoods. With election day so close, we can only hope that the lower court rules in our favor.
This recall campaign has been as successful as it has been because of volunteers. Many of my friends and colleagues have volunteered. If the issue is not on the ballot, I will feel as if all of our time will have been for nothing. I'm fairly confident that Paul Scott has angered enough of his constituents to be recalled, but we may never get that opportunity, and that is NOT what democracy looks like.