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December 16, 2025, Item #3
DATE:
TO:
FROM:
CONTACT:
SUBJECT:
Summary:
AGENDA REPORT CityofPoway
December 16, 2025
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Carrie Gallagher, City Clerk ~
Carrie Gallagher, City Clerk
(858) 668-4535 or [email protected]
CITY COUNCIL
Declaring the Result of the City of Poway District 2 Special Municipal Recall Election Held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025
The City of Poway conducted a Special Municipal Recall Election in consolidation with the State of California Special Municipal Election on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, for the purpose of of submitting a question to the voters of whether Anthony (Tony) Blain should be recalled (removed) from the Office of District 2 Councilmember of the City of Poway. On November 5, 2025, after unofficial election results showed over 80% voting in favor of the recall, former Councilmember Blain resigned effectively immediately. A recall vote must still be certified by the City Council upon receipt and certification by the San Diego County Registrar of Voters (ROV). Adoption of the recommended resolution is required to conclude the election process in conformance with the State of California's election laws.
Recommended Action:
It is recommended the City Council adopt the Resolution reciting the facts of the Special Municipal Recall Election held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, declaring the result and such other matters as may be provided by law.
Discussion:
On March 19, 2025, a Notice of Intention to Circulate Recall Petition for District 2 Councilmember Anthony (Tony) Blain was filed with the Office of the City Clerk. On April 17, 2025, the City Clerk determined the Petition for Recall form met the statutory requirements and, therefore, was approved for signature circulation. On July 16, 2025, the recall petition was submitted to the Office of the City Clerk in accordance with California Elections Code prior to the deadline of July 16, 2025 and was transferred to the Registrar of Voters for verification of signatures. On July 30, 2025, the ROV completed the verification process and provided the Poway City Clerk with a Certificate as to the Verification of Signatures on Petition. Pursuant to California Elections Code §§11240-11242, the Poway City Council called a Special Municipal Recall Election to be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 for 2 of 8
December 16, 2025, Item #3
the purpose of submitting a question to the voters of whether Anthony (Tony) Blain should be recalled (removed) from the Office of District 2 Council member of the City of Poway. On November 5, 2025, after the initial and unofficial voting results were provided for the Special Election, former Council member Blain resigned effectively immediately. Under Elections Code §11302(b)(2), if an office becomes vacant after a recall petition has been filed, even if the officeholder resigns from office, the recall election must still proceed, and the outcome of that election treated as fully effective. This requirement applies when the elections official has verified that a sufficient number of signatures were submitted before the vacancy occurred. In this case, the City received a Certificate of Verification of Petition Signatures from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters on July 30, 2025 prior to calling for the Special Election, confirming that the signature threshold was met, as noted in the Agenda Report dated August 5, 2025
A total of 6,241 votes were cast in the November 4, 2025 City of Poway District 2 Special Municipal Recall Election, with a majority of the votes on the recall voting in favor.
The votes were as follows:
City of Poway
Recall Anthony (Tony} Blain
YES 5,017
NO 1,224
Total Ballots Cast 6,241
Section 10262 of the California Elections Code requires the City Clerk, upon receipt of the results of the election from the San Diego County Registrar of Voters (ROV), to certify the results to the governing body following presentation of the canvass of the returns. The Certificate of the Registrar of Voters (Exhibit A, Attachment A) reflects the full, true and correct Statement of Vote, of the Special Municipal Election held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. By adoption of the resolution, the City Council declares that a majority of voters voting on the question relating to the recall of Anthony (Tony) Blain voted in favor, and that Anthony (Tony) Blain is recalled from the Office of District 2 Council member of the City of Poway.
Environmental Review:
None.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
Public Notification:
None.
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December 16, 2025, Item #3
Attachments: A.
Resolution
Reciting
the
Facts
of
the
Special
Municipal
Recall
Election
Reviewed/
Approved
By:
Assistant
City
Manager
Reviewed
By
:
Alan
Fenstermacher
City
Attorney
Approved
By:
ode}_
Chris
Hazeltine
City
Manager
RESOLUTION NO. 25-
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
POWAY, CALIFORNIA, RECITING THE FACTS OF THE SPECIAL
MUNICIPAL RECALL ELECTION HELD ON TUESDAY,
NOVEMBER 4 , 2025 , DECLARING THE RESULT AND SUCH
OTHER MATTERS AS MAY BE PROVIDED BY LAW
WHEREAS, a Special Municipal Election was held and conducted in District 2 of the City of Poway on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 , as required by the law, for the purpose of submitting the question of the recall of District 2 Councilmember Anthony (Tony) Blain; WHEREAS, a notice of the election was given in time, form and manner as provided by law, vote centers were properly established, election officers were appointed, and in all respects, the election was held and conducted and the votes were cast, received and canvassed and th e returns made and declared in time, form and manner as required by the provisions of the Elections Code of the State of California for the holding of elections in general law cities; and WHEREAS, the Registrar of Voters of the County of San Diego canvassed the returns of the election and has certified the results to the City Council of the City of Poway, California, the results are attached and made a part and attached hereto as Exhibit A.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Poway as follows:
SECTION 1: The whole number of votes case in District 2 of the City of Poway are reflected in the Certificate of Registrar of Voters as to the Result of the Canvass of the City of Poway Special Municipal Recall Election Returns, attached hereto as Exhibit A.
SECTION 2: The question voted upon by the voters of District 2 of the City of Poway at the Special Municipal Recall Election as follows:
Shall Anthony (Tony) Blain be recalled (removed) from
the Office of Councilmember of District 2 of the City of Poway?
YES
NO
YES 5,017
NO 1,224
S
ECTION 3: The City Council does declare and determine that, as a result of the election, a majority of the voters voting on the question relating to the recall of Anthony (Tony) Blain voted in support thereof, and that Anthony (Tony) Blain shall be recalled (removed) from the Office of District 2 Councilmember of the City of Poway.
SECTION 4: The City Clerk shall enter on the records of the City Council of the City of Poway, a statement of the result of the election, showing (1) the whole number of ballots cast; and (2) the total number of votes for and against said question.
SECTION 5: The City Clerk shall certify to the passage of and adoption of this resolution 4 of 8
December 16, 2025, Item #3
ATTACHMENT A
Resolution No. 25-
and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of Poway, California on the 16th day of December, 2025 by the following vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAINED:
ABSENT:
DISQUALIFIED:
______________________________
Steve Vaus, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Carrie Gallagher, CMC, City Clerk
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December 16, 2025, Item #3
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December 16, 2025, Item #3
Exhibit A
filounttl 11£ ~an ~ieBn
CYNTHIA L. PAES REGISTRAR OF VOTERS Registrar of Voters County Operations Center Campus 5600 Overland Avenue, Suite 100, San Diego, California 92123-1278 Telephone: (858) 565-5800 Toll-free: 1 (800) 696-0136 TTY/ TDD: (800) 735-2929 Facsimile: (858) 505-7294 Web Address: www.sdvote.com
December 2, 2025
TO: Andrew Potter
Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
FROM: Cynthia L. Paes
Registrar of Voters
NOVEMBER 4, 2025, STATEWIDE SPECIAL ELECTION CERTIFICATION Enclosed are the certified results for the following elections:
Jurisdiction: Statewide
Election Date: November 4, 2025
Resolution No. 25-
SHAWN K. BROM
Assistant Registrar of Voters
Please contact my staff at (858) 505-7214 if you have any questions regarding this matter.
Enclosure: Election Results
C: Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, Chair
Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, Vice Chair
Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, Chair Pro Tern
Supervisor Joel Anderson
Supervisor Jim Desmond
Ebony N. Shelton, Chief Administrative Officer
Caroline Smith, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer
Brian Albright, Deputy CAO, Finance & General Government Group Carrie Gallaher, City of Poway City Clerk
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December 16, 2025, Item #3
CERTIFICATION
OF
Resolution
No
. 25-
Page
4 COUNTY
CLERK/REGISTRAR
OF
VOTERS
OF
THE
RES
UL
TS
OF
THE
CANVASS
OF
THE
NOVEMBER
4,
2025,
STATEWIDE
SPECIAL
ELECTION
ss.
I, Cynthia
L
Paes
, County
Clerk/Registrar
of
Voters
of
County
of
. San
Diego
____
. do
hereby
certify
that.
in
pursuance
of
the
provisions
of
Elections
Code
section
15300
, et
seq.,
I did
canvass
the
results
of
the
votes
cast
in
the
Statewide
Special
Election
held
in
said
County
on
November
4, 2025,
for
the
measure
that
was
submitted
to
the
vote
of
the
voters,
and
that
the
Statement
of
Votes
Cast
, to
which
this
ce1tificate
is attached
is full,
true,
and
correct.
I hereby
set
my
hand
and
official
seal
this~
day
of
_ Decembe
·
, 2025,
at the
County
of
_S_a_n
_Di_eg_o
________
_
!erk/Registrar
of
Voters
County
of_S_a_n_D_eg'-o
__________
_
State
of
California
Canvass
Certification
of
Llections
Official
( 11
12025)
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December 16, 2025, Item #3
Total
Registration
and
Turnout
Mail Vote
Centers
Registered
Voters
2,023
,379
PROP
50 -CONGRESSIONAL
REDISTRICTING
-
Majority-Required
to
pass
( 1754
of
1754
precincts reported
)
YES NO
646,358 409,781
Total
1,056,139
CITY
OF
POWAY
MEMBER,
CITY
COUNCIL
DISTRICT
NO
. 2 -
RECALL
ELECTION
( 8
of
8 precincts
reported
)
YES NO
Total
5,017 1,224 6,241
Data
Refreshed:
Tuesday,
December
2,
2025
1 :01
PM
Printed
: Tuesday,
December
2,
2025
1 :02
PM
County
of
San
Diego
Special
Election
November
4,
2025
Official
Results
Turnout
1,056,873
985,008 71
,865
61 .20%
38.80% 80.39% 19.61%
Page
1 of
1 Resolution
No.
25-
Page
5