LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — The recall petition demanding Governor John Bel Edwards be removed from office is quickly approaching the deadline to collect enough signatures.

The effort to recall Edwards began on August 31, 2020.

In order for Edwards to be removed from office, 20% of the state’s registered voters must support and sign the petition, which is roughly over 600,000 registered voters.

At this point, the signatures collected is over 130,000 from seven parishes, according to Chris Fontenot who says there are many reasons why people are signing the petition.

“All of us really understand wanting to protect life. Specifically first in the pandemic, but the hypocrisy of this is when you close a church and leave a casino open.”

Another Facebook user we spoke to who is collecting signatures says her reason for supporting his removal is: “My main reason is due to his lack of empathy and sympathy that he showed the victims of the hurricanes (Laura & Delta). Both of which my family and I went through. How he created a lot of red tape for outside electrical companies to come into the state to help us out.”

Fontenot said there has been overwhelming support for the governor to be removed from office and he says it isn’t just republicans, the support is coming from both party lines.

“It shows people of Louisiana that we can come together under a common cause to promote the state in a positive matter regardless of those political lines. The best way to do what you can is to help the most amount of people as possible,” Fontenot said.

Only two other governors have ever been recalled in United States history.