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Recall elections in Texas are a procedure by which citizens of a city can remove an elected official from office before that official’s term in office has ended.
Texas recall elections are only available at the municipal level in cities with their own charter, also called home-rule cities.
Citizen Petition
Citizens in these cities may petition for a recall election. Mayors, city council members, and other elected officials are subject to recall.
The signature requirement for a valid recall petition varies by city and is defined in the city charter. For example, the Austin city charter requires petitioners to collect signatures from 10% of the qualified voters citywide to trigger a mayoral recall election, or 10% of the voters from the relevant council member’s district if the petition proposes recalling a council member.
There is no state law standard governing recall elections.
Grace Period
Many charters limit when the power of recall may be used. They don’t allow a recall petition to be submitted immediately after a council member has been elected.
According to a 2008 study by the Texas Municipal League, 55% of charters gave newly elected mayors or council members a few months on the job before they can be the subject of a recall petition. The most common “grace period” was six months, though the period range from one month to one year.
