Saturday protest against Rick Snyder in Lansing, Michigan. Photo via Electablog's diary.

Saturday protest against Rick Snyder in Lansing, Michigan. Photo via Electablog's diary

In response to comments and emails I received over the weekend, this morning I did some research to verify that the recall petition circulated by The Committee to Recall Rick Snyder ( FireRickSnyder.org ) is valid even though Snyder is less than 180 days into his term.

Short answer: yes. Long answer: yes.

Here is a summary of the information I received during a call with the Elections Division of the Michigan Secretary of State's office:

1. Can a recall petition of a statewide official be approved less than 180 days into that official's term?

Yes.

2. Can such a recall petition, once approved, be circulated less than 180 days into the relevant official's term?

Yes, as long as the signatures are submitted after 180 days had expired.

3. Which county must approve the petition?

The petition must be approved in the county where the official resides, which in this case is Washtenaw. As it happens, this is where The Committee to Recall Rick Snyder had their petition approved. Literally dozens of news stories reported on Washtenaw County approving the petition. For example, CBS Detroit:

A recall petition effort to oust Republican Governor Rick Snyder has cleared a hurdle, and can begin collecting signatures aimed at getting the measure on the ballot, unless the governor files an appeal. The Washtenaw County Board of Election Commissioners voted 2-1 the petition language, which says Snyder should be recalled for supporting sweeping new powers for emergency managers, including the ability to void labor agreements.

The deadline to appeal the petition passed without Snyder filing one.

Some final details:

The recall petition is valid for 180 days in total, and 90 days from when the first signatures are gathered.

Signatures began to be gathered on Saturday, May 21, which means the signatures must be filed before August 20.

In order for the recall vote to be on the ballot in November, recall organizers believe they need to submit the signatures before August 5.

So that's that. This is really happening, and the clock is ticking. If you live in Michigan, please go to FireRickSnyder.org and sign up to volunteer. We are just clearing some final hurdles on our end, and will have ways for everyone to help shortly.