A political action committee’s effort to recall Liberty Elementary School Board member Kristopher Kenyon has failed after Maricopa County officials determined the petition did not include enough valid voter signatures to trigger a special election, according to a spokesperson for the Maricopa County School Superintendent.
The left-leaning political action committee 4 Liberty Kids submitted the recall petition earlier this month, claiming it had collected the required 3,161 signatures from registered voters to force a special election aimed at removing the conservative board member.
However, following a multi-step verification process by the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, officials concluded that the petition fell short of the required number of valid signatures, the spokesperson confirmed. As a result, a recall election is unlikely to take place.
“We have received a letter from the County Recorder’s Office indicating that the recall committee did not gather enough valid signatures," said Maricopa County School Superintendent Shelli Boggs. "However, this matter is still pending litigation, so nothing is final at this time.”
Under Arizona law, recall elections allow registered voters in a school district to force a sitting board member to stand for re-election before their term ends. To proceed, the petition must meet specific signature and procedural requirements.
The petition reportedly had 851 signatures from individuals who were either not qualified electors at the time of signing or were disqualified for other reasons, out of a total of 3,469 such signatures on the recall petition, according to State 48 News reporting and confirmation from the county spokesperson. This shortfall presumably makes the petition legally insufficient.
Signatures may be disqualified under A.R.S. § 19-208.02(A) for several reasons, including illegibility, mismatched signatures, duplicates, missing dates or addresses, or if the signer was under 18 or not a qualified elector.
The failed petition cited teacher shortages and alleged fiscal mismanagement as grounds for removing Kenyon from office.
“Kristopher Kenyon has consistently failed to act in the best interest of our district’s students, parents, and educators,” the petition stated. “His actions jeopardize the quality of education and essential programs that our children depend on.” It also criticized Kenyon for drawing on financial reserves and contributing to what it described as an 'unprecedented number of job openings' in the district.
Michael McDaniel can be reached at [email protected]. We invite our readers to submit their civil comments or opinions on this or any issue. Email [email protected].
