This community opinion was contributed by Heidi Connor of Safer San Benito. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent BenitoLink or other affiliated contributors. Lea este artículo en español aqui.

In any democracy, there are lines that should never be crossed.

We expect elected officials to advocate for their positions. We expect disagreement. We expect debate. What we should not expect and what we should never accept, is the use of public office to undermine a lawful election process.

Yet that is exactly what we are witnessing in San Benito County.

Supervisor Kollin Kosmicki recently went on television to claim something improper, or even illegal, was happening in connection with a recall effort. He questioned the validity of signatures, even suggesting the Elections Office may not be doing its job and calling for a Grand Jury investigation.

More troubling, he publicly called on the Elections Official to invalidate a recall election that has already been certified and is scheduled for the ballot this June.

That should concern every voter, regardless of where you stand on the recall itself.

Because this is no longer about one election. It’s about whether those in power can use their official position to cast doubt on a lawful process simply because they don’t like where it leads.

What actually happened

A Notice of Intention to Recall Supervisor Kosmicki was reviewed by the County Elections Office, as required under California Elections Code §11020, and initially deemed compliant by the Elections Office.

That is their job to review, verify, and determine whether notices and petitions meet legal requirements.

After receiving the notice, Supervisor Kosmicki pointed out that some addresses did not include ZIP codes and insisted this should invalidate the notice. County legal counsel then stepped in, and the Elections Official reversed the decision and rejected the Notice of Recall.

But here’s the problem: that interpretation of the law doesn’t match what courts have already said.

What the courts say

The California Supreme Court has been clear on this issue: election laws are meant to protect voters, not block them. Small technical mistakes, like a missing ZIP code, do not invalidate a recall unless they cause confusion, prevent identifying voters, or involve fraud.

None of that is happening here.

In a county like ours, with a small population and only a few ZIP codes, voters are easily identifiable by name and street address. The Elections Office knows exactly who these voters are.

This isn’t a legal defect. It’s a technicality being used as a weapon.

A pattern that should concern us all

This isn’t the first time that this recall effort has been challenged in ways that raise serious concerns.

From the beginning, recall organizers have been accused of running a “scam” by Supervisors. Volunteers have been criticized and publicly disparaged during Board Meetings. Claims have been made about misconduct that did not hold up under scrutiny.

Now we are seeing something more troubling: an effort to use technical arguments—and public pressure—to stop an election altogether.

And that raises important questions we should all be asking.

  • If a Supervisor is the subject of a recall, should they be using their position and taxpayer-funded legal resources, to challenge it, rather than pursuing that challenge independently with their own attorney?
  • Is it appropriate for an elected official to publicly question the integrity of the Elections Office and call for investigations, without clear evidence of wrongdoing?
  • At what point does defending oneself cross the line into abusing public office to undermine a lawful election?
  • And should any elected official be able to use their platform to discourage participation in a recall process that is explicitly protected under our laws?

These are not partisan questions. They are fundamental to how our democracy is supposed to function.

What’s really at stake

The recall of Supervisor Ignacio Velazquez has already been certified and placed on the ballot.

The efforts by Supervisors Kosmicki and Velazquez to stop or delegitimize that election based on technicalities don’t just affect one candidate or one race. They affect all of us.

They risk creating confusion. They risk discouraging participation. And most importantly, they risk eroding trust in the very system that gives voters their voice.

The right to organize a recall, to sign a petition, and to vote in an election are not privileges—they are fundamental rights.

When elected officials attempt to cast doubt on that process without a clear legal basis, it sends a very dangerous message: that the rules can be bent when the outcome is inconvenient.

This is bigger than one election

There is nothing illegal about this recall.

What is concerning are the repeated efforts to suggest otherwise.

Because once we start down the path of questioning valid elections based on minor technicalities, where does it stop?

If a missing ZIP code is enough to cancel a recall, what comes next?

The strength of our system depends on consistency, fairness, and respect for the process—even when we don’t like the outcome.

That standard must apply to everyone, including those in power.

A simple principle

This should not be complicated.

If voters followed the law, if the Elections Office verified the process, and if there is no fraud, confusion, or inability to identify voters—then the election should proceed.

Let the voters decide. That is how accountability works. That is how democracy works.

And that is what must be protected.

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