This House would introduce recall elections.

A recall election is a form of direct democracy in which citizens are able to cut short the term of an elected representative through a public vote. Particular mechanisms vary, but usually involve a petition signed by members of the public. If a sufficient proportion of the electorate signs the petition the recall process is triggered and a special election is called to decide whether the representative concerned should be removed from office. In some systems (e.g. Venezuela) this is essentially a straightforward referendum on the politician; if the recall initiative is passed then their office becomes vacant and a new election is held later to decide who should fill it. In other versions of the recall process (e.g the Philippines) , the incumbent is placed on a ballot alongside a number of challengers; if the current representative receives the most votes they keep their office, but if someone else gains more votes than they do, they are lose office and are replaced by the successful challenger. In California a two-part ballot requires voters first to decide on whether the incumbent should be dismissed, and then to vote for a replacement should the first question be passed[1]. Recall procedures are used in a small number of countries. 36 states in the USA allow recall votes for county or city officials, but only 18 have provisions to recall state legislators or governors (recalls are not used for federal positions). Only two US governors have ever been recalled, the most recent being Gray Davis of California who was removed from office in 2003 and replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger.[2] Parts of Switzerland and British Columbia in Canada also have recall mechanisms, as do Venezuela and the Philippines. In 2009 a House of Commons expenses scandal in the United Kingdom tarnished the reputation of many British Members of Parliament, and led to calls for recall mechanisms to be introduced. Because the exact nature of recall systems varies widely from place to place, the Proposition should devote some thought to defining what kind of mechanism they would put in place. Nonetheless, it is important to argue the debate on the basis of broad principles that apply to all recall systems; the arguments below should apply in almost all cases. Note that as recall votes are a form of direct democracy, many of the wider arguments that are used in debates about referendums and initiatives also apply here.

The law may require a certain percentage of adult citizens to sign a petition to trigger a recall (3%-7% in Switzerland, depending on the canton) or a certain percentage of the number of votes cast in the election of the incumbent (as in California, which requires 12%). The mechanism can demand the removal of office in one ballot and the appointment of the next politician in a separate one. Additionally, the laws may differ in the conditions they place on someone’s running for office.