Tuesday’s recall election highlights

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2003 | 11:38 a.m.

California voters decided Tuesday whether Gray Davis would be the second governor in the nation forced from office in a recall election. Voters chose yes or no on the recall question, then picked one of 135 candidates to replace Davis. Arnold Schwarzenegger was by far the best-known and best-funded candidate, contributing at least $10 million of his own money to his campaign.

SHOWDOWN - The campaign's final days were dominated by the showdown between Schwarzenegger and Davis, as at least 16 women came forward to accuse the Hollywood star of sexual misconduct. Overshadowed by the controversy were Democrat Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante and Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock, who trailed Schwarzenegger among replacement candidates.

VOTING - Polls were open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., but about a quarter of the vote was in before Election Day. More than 3 million voters requested absentee ballots.

MAKING HISTORY - Only one other governor had been recalled - in 1921 in North Dakota. Voters angry over falling wheat and beef prices tossed out Republican Lynn Frazier. Frazier was then elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served for 18 years.

PROPOSITION 54 - The proposed constitutional amendment would restrict state and local governments from collecting and using information on an individual's race, ethnicity, color or national origin.

PROPOSITION 53 - The little-known ballot issue would set aside 1 percent of the state budget every year beginning in 2006 to build and rebuild infrastructure. The annual share would gradually increase to 3 percent, and be suspended in bad budget years.

BY THE NUMBERS - When Davis was re-elected in 2002, 50.5 percent of registered voters turned out and he received 47 percent of the 7.7 million votes. The state's record turnout was the Nov. 3, 1964, presidential election of Lyndon Johnson, when 88.4 percent of registered voters participated.

QUOTABLE - "People are not interested in my problems - my job is to solve their problems. If they give me the opportunity to complete my term I'm going to work my tail off to leave this state better off than I found it." - Gov. Gray Davis.