Sheriff Joe Arpaio pro-recall petitioners find signatures hard to come by

Obtaining signatures for a petition to recall tough-talking, tough-walking Arizona lawman Sheriff Joe Arpaio is proving an uphill battle.

Volunteers’ latest effort took place at a music festival, targeted for its huge crowd size and liberally-minded attendees, The Associated Press reported.

But shortly after setting up camp, recall workers found themselves facing an even larger opposition group: Supporters of Mr. Arpaio turned out in droves and drowned out the recall workers’ rally calls, AP reported.

At the end of the day, pro-recall workers only netted 100 signatures — far less than anticipated for such a heavily attended event.

The recall drive started in January, just after the 80-year-old sheriff began his sixth term. Volunteers have to get more than 335,000 signatures by May 30, and they’re far from that goal. Money, meanwhile, to fund the drive is running low and petition workers admit they have to rely mostly on volunteers, AP reported.

“I don’t see this attracting a lot of money for the recall people,” said David Berman, a senior research fellow at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy, in the AP report.