MABTON, Wash. — The Washington Supreme Court is set to decide next week on an appeal involving the first recall petition against Mabton Mayor Rachel Ruelas. If the court upholds the decision out of Yakima County Superior Court, the recall process will move forward.
Petitioners would then need to collect approximately 60 resident signatures, which must be certified by the Yakima County Auditor’s Office. Once certified, an election would have to take place between 45 and 90 days later.
However, state law prohibits running recall elections simultaneously with the November general election, when the mayoral race will already be on the ballot.
“The prohibition is very specific,” Yakima County Auditor Charles Ross said. “You basically can’t run recalls when you’re actually conducting the November election.”
Ross said the deadline to include the recall on the February ballot has already passed.
“So I think the fair thing to say is that if, if and when the recall comes, it’s going to be conducted between February 12 and August 5,” Ross said.