LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Supporters of the effort to recall the county's sheriff said they are on track to gather more than the necessary number of signatures to place the recall on the fall ballot.
The Committee to Recall Rivero and Restore Integrity said it has collected approximately 5,000 signatures to date from citizens across Lake County in the effort to remove Sheriff Frank Rivero from office.
Signature gathering has been under way for just over a month.
The effort was launched following the district attorney's determination in February that Rivero lied about his actions during a nonfatal 2008 shooting, at which time Rivero was a sheriff's deputy.
Then, in March, the Board of Supervisors gave Rivero a unanimous no-confidence vote.
An exact signature count was not available this week. Committee members said the numbers are constantly changing because more signatures are being gathered every day. They also are awaiting many more completed petitions to be handed in and counted.
At the current signature gathering rate, the committee said it anticipates reaching or exceeding 9,000 signatures by the committee's self-imposed June 17 deadline, which is exactly one half of the time allowed for signature gathering, according to the California Secretary of State and the Lake County Registrar of Voters.
Approximately 7,026 signatures are required to put Rivero's recall on the November ballot, county election officials reported.
Over the past two weeks some signature gatherers were met with harassment and verbal attacks from the sheriff's supporters, which the committee said led to many potential petition signers withholding their signatures for fear of harassment or retaliation.
More recently, the committee said that it is finding that people who originally were afraid of retaliation from Rivero supporters are now willing to sign in order to make the recall happen. The harassment is not deterring recall supporters from continuing the effort, the committee reported.
A signature gathering drive and barbecue tri-tip lunch is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 9, in Kelseyville.
For more information contact the committee at