Wisconsin election staff have so far determined that there are sufficient signatures submitted to recall four Republican state Senators — an important first step, pending further challenges, before the wave of state recalls can be officially green-lit.
As the La Crosse Tribune reports, staff at the state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections, counted sufficient signatures against state Sen. Dan Kapanke and three other Republicans. GAB spokesman Reid Magney confirmed to TPM that the three others are Randy Hopper, Luther Olsen and Sheila Harsdorf.
In addition, the board staff are still reviewing signature numbers against Republicans Alberta Darling and Rob Cowles, and Democrats Dave Hansen, Robert Wirch and Jim Holperin.
This action does not by itself trigger the recalls — challenges to the signatures will be reviewed at official board meetings on May 23 and May 31, with the board on a timeline to hold the recalls on July 12.
“So our review is limited to what’s on the face of the petition,” said Magney. “Is there a signature, a name, and a complete address. We don’t check to see whether Joe Smith really lives at 123 Main Street, we don’t see whether he’s been disqualified from voting, we don’t see whether that’s really his signature.”
The parties and incumbent senators have submitted challenges to the petitions, which the board staff will review before making recommendations to the board itself — which is composed of retired judges, selected through a non-partisan process.
“The plan is to have those two meetings to review the petitions, and then either at the meting on the 31st or a few days later, the board would issue an order for the recall election to held on the 12th of July,” said Magney.
