Recall elections: superior courts.

The California Assembly Committee on Elections proposes updating the state's recall election procedures through amendments that replace "trial courts" with "superior courts" throughout the Elections Code, clarifying jurisdictional definitions and signature requirements for judicial recalls.

The amendments establish that superior court judges are classified as county officers for recall purposes, while courts of appeal judges remain state officers. County elections officials would oversee recalls of superior court judges, with county boards of supervisors serving as the governing boards. The bill maintains existing signature thresholds for most local recalls while specifying that superior court judge recalls must meet the constitutional requirements for state officers. For superior court positions that have never appeared on the ballot, signature requirements would be calculated based on votes cast for the lowest-turnout countywide office in the most recent general election.

These changes align recall procedures with current court system terminology and create distinct processes for different judicial levels. The amendments preserve existing recall authority under city and county charters while standardizing the administrative framework for judicial recalls across jurisdictions.