CAMPAIGN GROWS

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31725, 8 July 1968, Page 11

CAMPAIGN GROWS

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright > SACRAMENTO, July 6. A campaign to force a referendum in an effort to remove Governor Ronald Reagan of California from office looks like achieving its object The seldom-used recall campaign—something akin to impeachment—needs to gather on a petition 12 per cent of the votes cast in the 1966 California election, by July 31. If it succeeds in reaching the figure of 780,414 by then, general balloting must be held in the autumn —half-way through Governor Reagan s four-year term. Californians would then vote “yes” or “no” on deposing him. If the affirmative votes prevail, an alternative candidate with the largest number of votes on the same ballot would become the new governor.

The organisers of the campaign claim to have gathered almost 700,000 signatures already, and are aiming at more than one million, so that the validity of the petition would be beyond doubt. After ignoring the recall drive for some time, State Republican leaders began a counter-offensive this week, with Mr Reagan a former film star joining in the fray.