Enough Signatures Submitted to Trigger a Recall Against Wisconsin Assembly Speaker, But Questions Remain

Wednesday, June 26th, 2024 -- 12:01 PM

(Rich Kremer, Wisconsin Public Radio) Conservative activists trying to remove Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos from office submitted enough signatures to trigger a recall election in his old district, according to staff at the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

But, according to Rich Kremer with the Wisconsin Public Radio, a big question remains about whether a recall election can happen there in light of Wisconsin’s new legislative maps. Recall organizer Matthew Snorek said he submitted more than 9,000 signatures to the WEC on May 28.

After an initial review, WEC staff determined that organizers turned in 6,866 valid signatures from residents in Vos’ old 63rd Assembly District. In order to trigger a recall election organizers needed 6,850 signatures, which equates to 25 percent of the number of people who voted in that district during the last election for governor.

According to the WEC staff memo, they cleared that mark by just 16 signatures. A social media post from the Racine Recall Committee declared victory Tuesday. But whether Vos can even be recalled from the 63rd Assembly District “remains an unresolved legal question” according to the WEC staff memo.

That’s because the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority declared in December that maps drawn by Republicans in 2022 were unconstitutional, ruling that no future elections could be held using those districts. That includes Vos’ old 63rd Assembly District.

The WEC asked the court to clarify whether the old maps or new maps passed by Republicans and signed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in February should be used for potential recall elections.

Justices declined that request in April, stating the commission, not the court, has the responsibility for administering elections.

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