How do I Remove a Representative From Office?
There are two methods provided by law for the removal of a representative from office: election and impeachment. Impeachment of a Congressional representative is a rare and difficult process. In the history of the United States, no member of the House of Representatives has been impeached. Most who are beset by allegations of wrongdoing resign from office rather than face impeachment, and often the House will use the easier disciplinary action of censuring rather than the lengthy impeachment process. Campaigning to force the representative's resignation or to hold a recall election may be far easier and more successful than impeachment. Traditional elections, held every two years for members of the House, are the surest and easiest way of removing a representative from Congress.
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Instructions
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Impeachment
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Bring evidence of the representative taking part in "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" (United States Constitution) to the House of Representatives. You can notify the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of this evidence.
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Wait to see what happens. After you notify the committee, it is up to the House of Representatives to investigate and determine if the evidence is sufficient to warrant impeachment. If they decide to proceed, a vote to impeach will be taken, and if a majority agrees that the representative should be impeached, the case will go before the Senate for trial. A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is require for conviction, in which case the representative will be removed from office.
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Proceed to a recall/resignation campaign if impeachment is unsuccessful.
Forced Resignation or Recall
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Begin a campaign to force the representative's resignation or to hold a recall election. You can begin this from the ground up, contacting people you know, the media, the opposition party, and any influential people in your congressional district.
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Consult your attorney general's office for details on how to hold a recall election. In most cases, this will involve getting enough signatures on a petition. Many states, however, do not provide for recalling congressional representatives. If a recall is not possible in your state, you may continue to campaign to force the representative's resignation.
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Register to vote. Contact your state attorney general's office if you're not sure how to do this.
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Vote for the representative's opponent in the recall election, or when his or her term is up for re-election. You may choose to participate in the opponent's campaign if you want to do more.
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Tips & Warnings
It is extremely difficult to remove a representative before their term is up. The surest way to remove someone for office is through regularly scheduled elections.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit capitol image by Andrew Breeden from Fotolia.com
