Valerie AmezcuaVoted no
3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
30October
2023
2023
Special City Council Meeting · One key issue
A special meeting called to consider a letter from the county registrar of voters about the Ward 3 recall election set for 14 November.
▶ Check this moment · 3:35:15
3.9 hours
3 agenda items
1 located in video
25% attributed to a named speaker
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What happened
Monday, October 30, 2023
- 01
Councilmember Hernandez said the certification had been done against the wrong ward map, that the recall is legally insufficient, and moved to rescind the election.
▶3:39:42Explore this issue
Related agenda item 3Open agenda item →Review and Discuss the Letter Received from Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page Dated October 26, 2023 Pertaining to the…
Member positions
Phil BacerraVoted no3:45:58Established the registrar has not rescinded its certificate and said the city should not carry the registrar's errors.
David PenalozaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Thai Viet PhanVoted yes3:42:07Said there were never enough valid signatures under the 2020 map, whoever is being recalled.
Benjamin VazquezVoted yes3:41:03Seconded, saying the petition falls more than 230 signatures short on the correct map.
Johnathan Ryan HernandezVoted yes3:39:42Moved to rescind the election, saying the recall is legally insufficient.
- 02
Councilmember Vazquez said that on the correct 2020 map the petition falls more than 230 signatures short and about 1,100 voters are shut out.
▶3:41:03Explore this issue
Related agenda item 3Open agenda item →Review and Discuss the Letter Received from Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page Dated October 26, 2023 Pertaining to the…
Member positions
Valerie AmezcuaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Phil BacerraVoted no3:45:58Established the registrar has not rescinded its certificate and said the city should not carry the registrar's errors.
David PenalozaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Thai Viet PhanVoted yes3:42:07Said there were never enough valid signatures under the 2020 map, whoever is being recalled.
Benjamin VazquezVoted yes3:41:03Seconded, saying the petition falls more than 230 signatures short on the correct map.
Johnathan Ryan HernandezVoted yes3:39:42Moved to rescind the election, saying the recall is legally insufficient.
- 03
Councilmember Phan said the only question is whether there were ever enough valid signatures on the 2020 map, and that the answer is no whoever is being recalled.
▶3:42:07Explore this issue
Related agenda item 3Open agenda item →Review and Discuss the Letter Received from Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page Dated October 26, 2023 Pertaining to the…
Member positions
Valerie AmezcuaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Phil BacerraVoted no3:45:58Established the registrar has not rescinded its certificate and said the city should not carry the registrar's errors.
David PenalozaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Thai Viet PhanVoted yes3:42:07Said there were never enough valid signatures under the 2020 map, whoever is being recalled.
Benjamin VazquezVoted yes3:41:03Seconded, saying the petition falls more than 230 signatures short on the correct map.
Johnathan Ryan HernandezVoted yes3:39:42Moved to rescind the election, saying the recall is legally insufficient.
- 04
Councilmember Bacerra established from the clerk that the registrar has not rescinded its certificate and that the October letter did not rescind it either.
▶3:45:44Explore this issue
Related agenda item 3Open agenda item →Review and Discuss the Letter Received from Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page Dated October 26, 2023 Pertaining to the…
Member positions
Valerie AmezcuaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Phil BacerraVoted no3:45:58Established the registrar has not rescinded its certificate and said the city should not carry the registrar's errors.
David PenalozaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Thai Viet PhanVoted yes3:42:07Said there were never enough valid signatures under the 2020 map, whoever is being recalled.
Benjamin VazquezVoted yes3:41:03Seconded, saying the petition falls more than 230 signatures short on the correct map.
Johnathan Ryan HernandezVoted yes3:39:42Moved to rescind the election, saying the recall is legally insufficient.
- 05
He said the city should not take responsibility for the registrar's errors.
▶3:45:58Explore this issue
Related agenda item 3Open agenda item →Review and Discuss the Letter Received from Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page Dated October 26, 2023 Pertaining to the…
Member positions
Valerie AmezcuaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Phil BacerraVoted no3:45:58Established the registrar has not rescinded its certificate and said the city should not carry the registrar's errors.
David PenalozaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Thai Viet PhanVoted yes3:42:07Said there were never enough valid signatures under the 2020 map, whoever is being recalled.
Benjamin VazquezVoted yes3:41:03Seconded, saying the petition falls more than 230 signatures short on the correct map.
Johnathan Ryan HernandezVoted yes3:39:42Moved to rescind the election, saying the recall is legally insufficient.
- 06
Two motions each failed three votes to three, so the election went ahead as called.
▶3:50:51Explore this issue
Related agenda item 3Open agenda item →Review and Discuss the Letter Received from Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page Dated October 26, 2023 Pertaining to the…
Member positions
Valerie AmezcuaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Phil BacerraVoted no3:45:58Established the registrar has not rescinded its certificate and said the city should not carry the registrar's errors.
David PenalozaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Thai Viet PhanVoted yes3:42:07Said there were never enough valid signatures under the 2020 map, whoever is being recalled.
Benjamin VazquezVoted yes3:41:03Seconded, saying the petition falls more than 230 signatures short on the correct map.
Johnathan Ryan HernandezVoted yes3:39:42Moved to rescind the election, saying the recall is legally insufficient.
- 07
The city attorney twice reminded members that closed session advice cannot be discussed in public without a waiver.
▶3:40:19Explore this issue
Related agenda item 3Open agenda item →Review and Discuss the Letter Received from Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page Dated October 26, 2023 Pertaining to the…
Member positions
Valerie AmezcuaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Phil BacerraVoted no3:45:58Established the registrar has not rescinded its certificate and said the city should not carry the registrar's errors.
David PenalozaVoted no3:50:53Voted against cancelling the election.
Thai Viet PhanVoted yes3:42:07Said there were never enough valid signatures under the 2020 map, whoever is being recalled.
Benjamin VazquezVoted yes3:41:03Seconded, saying the petition falls more than 230 signatures short on the correct map.
Johnathan Ryan HernandezVoted yes3:39:42Moved to rescind the election, saying the recall is legally insufficient.
How this brief was made
The current summaries were prepared during an in-session review of the transcripts. This prototype shows only sentences with a timestamp citation. 0 uncited sentences were withheld from this page.
Focus
Where they differed
Splits in votes or reasoning
Whether to cancel the Ward 3 recall election after the registrar said the signature check used the wrong ward map; both motions failed three votes to three.
Voted against cancelling the election.
Established the registrar has not rescinded its certificate and said the city should not carry the registrar's errors.
Voted against cancelling the election.
Said there were never enough valid signatures under the 2020 map, whoever is being recalled.
Seconded, saying the petition falls more than 230 signatures short on the correct map.
Moved to rescind the election, saying the recall is legally insufficient.
Agenda
Every item
3 items in agenda order
Closed Session Items
Not located Closed-session conference with legal counsel
- The council met privately about significant exposure to litigation.3:35:15
Closed Session Items
Not located Closed-session conference with legal counsel
- The council met privately about initiating litigation.3:35:15
Business Calendar
▶3:35:03 Review and Discuss the Letter Received from Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page Dated October 26, 2023 Pertaining to the…
- A review of the letter of 26 October from the county registrar of voters about the Ward 3 recall election, with the option of taking action or none.3:35:15
- Councilmember Hernandez said the petition was certified against the wrong ward map and moved to rescind the election.3:39:42
- Councilmember Vazquez seconded and said the petition falls more than 230 signatures short on the correct map, disenfranchising about 1,100 voters.3:41:03
- Councilmember Phan said she was emotional about it, and that the question is simply whether there were ever enough valid signatures under the 2020 map.3:42:07
- Councilmember Bacerra drew out from the clerk that the registrar has not rescinded its certificate of verification and that the October letter did not do so.3:45:44
- He said the city should not take responsibility for the registrar's errors.3:45:58
- The first motion failed three votes to three.3:49:25
- A resolution directing the clerk to rescind the certificate and cancel the election also failed three to three.3:50:51
- Councilmember Vazquez called the election illegitimate and wished Mayor Pro Tem Lopez well.3:51:26
Full transcript
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