Madison — Wisconsin’s senior Republican member, who called former President Donald Trump recall supporters “whack jobs and morons,” contested thousands of signatures on Thursday and pronounced the effort failed. There would be insufficient signatures to recall Assembly Speaker Robin Vos if the challenges succeed.
Vos faces recall because he refuses to impeach the state's chief elections officer or decertify President Joe Biden's 2020 Wisconsin victory. Trump accused Vos of covering up election corruption, and his followers failed a primary challenge in 2022 and are now trying to force a recall election.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission found insufficient signatures from Vos' district residents after a quick inspection. New legislative maps change Vos' district lines in November. The Wisconsin Elections Commission petitioned the Supreme Court to draw recall election lines. It would also determine how many signatures were needed to start the recall election.
The court granted parties until Thursday to answer to its clarification request. Vos claims that petition circulators fell “woefully short” of valid signatures to initiate a recall election regardless of line. He said the recall was “plagued with fraud and criminality.”
“This failed effort has proven to be what I said it would be from the beginning—a waste of time and resources,” Vos said. “That is especially true for residents whose identities have been stolen and local officials who must now investigate.”
The Racine County district attorney was also investigating petitions with unsigned names. Petition organizers have offered many conspiracy theories to explain their faulty signatures. After Vos filed his challenges, they did not respond.
Circulators needed 6,850 valid signatures for Vos' 2022 district. The elections commission has not determined how many signatures Vos will need in his new constituency for the November general election.
The elections commission must decide by April 11 if there are enough signatures for a recall election. You can challenge its decision in court. If a recall were held, the commission expects a May 21 primary and a June 18 general election.
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