A judge in Madison, Wisconsin, has granted state election officials a widely-expected extension on the time to review and certify the recall petitions against Republican Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and four Republican state Senators.
The Associated Press reports: “Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess says the board faces an unprecedented task and deserves more time to do its work.”
The signatures total up to over 1.9 million signatures. By state law, the board ordinarily has 31 days to review the petitions, which were turned in last Tuesday. The state Government Accountability Board, which oversees elections in the state, has long planned to seek an extension, after having previously obtained one for last year’s round of state Senate recalls.
However, the GAB has also said it will need even more time beyond the original expectations, after a judge in conservative Waukesha County ruled that the GAB must make a greater effort to screen out fake or duplicate petition signatures — rather than abide by the pre-existing rules, which had placed the burden mainly on the elected officials targeted for recall.
