EXPLAINER: How California could recall Gov. Gavin Newsom

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing a recall election Sept. 14 that could remove him from office

LOS ANGELES -- California's Sept. 14 recall election could remove first-term Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office. Mail-in ballots, the form of voting most Californians use, already have arrived at voters’ homes. The contest is unfolding as the state sees a surge in coronavirus cases from the delta variant and the return of masks and other mandates and restrictions in many places. There are raging wildfires in Northern California and an unrelenting homeless crisis. Republicans are hoping for an upset in a heavily Democratic state, where the GOP hasn’t won a statewide election since 2006. The election is being closely watched nationally as a barometer of the public mood heading toward the 2022 elections, when a closely divided Congress again will be in play. So, how did California arrive at this point? Here are some answers: