State Board Needs More Than 60 Days to Verify Recall Signatures

Wisconsin recall elections seem like a pretty sure thing, and to be sure the integrity of the process is preserved, the Government Accountability Board is asking for an extension to review petition signatures.

State statute gives the agency 30 days to conduct a review, but the GAB is asking for 60 days or more, according to an Associated Press story.

Government Accountability Board Director Kevin Kennedy said the court-ordered, more stringent process is driving the timeline. Completing the verifications in 60 days plus a primary for the gubernatorial race means a May election. Further court challenges or other delays could mean pushing the election(s) to June or later.

While 540,000 signatures are required to spark a recall election, state Democrats say they expect to turn in 1.5 million signatures. Originally, the GAB said it was up to the Walker campaign to challenge signatures, but a Waukesha County judge said that process is up to the Accountability Board.

On Jan. 6, Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester) released figures he'd requested for how much the . Without a primary, state residents have a $9 million price tag, $17 million with a primary. In Racine County, State Sen. Van Wanggaard's potential recall election adds another $100,000 to $200,000 to that total.