COEUR d'ALENE - The four Coeur d'Alene city incumbents targeted by a recall effort said Wednesday they wouldn't resign if the measure makes it to an election.

Coeur d'Alene City Council members Mike Kennedy, Woody McEvers and Deanna Goodlander and Mayor Sandi Bloem each said they would see a recall election to the end rather than surrender their seats.

"I definitely will not resign," Bloem said.

The incumbents' statements came on the same day the Kootenai County Elections Department issued a press release detailing the percentage of certified signatures each petition has as the department certifies each recall petition page.

Petitions against Bloem, Goodlander and McEvers each had 12 percent of their signatures rejected for not being valid registered Coeur d'Alene voters. Kennedy's had 13 percent rejected, according to the press release issued by Kootenai County Clerk Cliff Hayes.

Each incumbent's petition has between 5,267 and 5,384 signatures. If the 12 -13 percent rejection rate continues, each of the four petitions would contain enough certified signatures - more than the required 4,311 - to warrant a recall election. Generally, the petitions need to maintain a signature rejection rate 20 percent or less to prompt a recall election.

Hayes said the breakdowns were only one day's worth of information and the percentages would likely fluctuate daily. The final tallies are expected to be announced at 5 p.m. Monday at the latest.

If a recall election is warranted, incumbents are offered the chance to resign rather than face the special election.

On Wednesday, the incumbents said they wouldn't pay too much attention to the daily certification tally, but, each said, they wouldn't resign if it does get that far.

"There's no way in heck I'm going to do that," Goodlander said. "Let's go to an election if we have to."

She said she suspects people may have signed the petition after hearing misinformation. An election would give them a chance to reverse their stance after they've learned more, she said.

"I guess maybe I've always been a fighter," she said. "If we get re-elected, great. If we don't, fine; people will get what they wanted. I'm a big believer in the vote."

Kennedy and McEvers said the same.

"Not a chance," Kennedy responded to the question of stepping down. "They aren't going to get me to go away that easily."

While McEvers said he hadn't thought that far ahead in the process, resigning didn't seem right since he still believes in his actions as a councilman, including his vote on the McEuen Field redevelopment project, the subject around which much of the recall effort is centered.

"If you quit doesn't that say they were right?" he said. "That don't fit."