MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission on Thursday rejected an effort to force a recall election for the state’s top Republican after determining that not enough valid signatures had been collected.
The vote by three Republican commissioners and one Democratic commissioner means the Speaker of the Assembly Robin Fox will not have to run for a recall election unless a court intervenes. Vos was the target of recall by fellow Republicans and supporters of former President Donald Trump.
Recall organizers targeted Vos, the longest-serving Assembly speaker in Wisconsin history, after he rejected calls to decertify President Joe Biden’s narrow victory in the state. Biden’s victory by about 21,000 votes has withstood two partial recounts, lawsuits, an independent audit and a review by a conservative law firm.
Fox further angered Trump supporters when he did not support a plan to impeach Meagan Wolfe, the state’s top election official.
Election Commission staff had determined that the petition circulators had submitted sixteen more valid signatures than were necessary to force a recall of Vos. But the committee broke with staff’s recommendation Thursday, tossing out another 188 signatures because they were collected outside the 60-day circulation period for petitions.
The recall’s organizers had argued they should be included because the entry deadline was extended by two days due to the Memorial Day holiday. But committee members who urged rejection of the signatures said the law allowed the date for filing the petition to be moved, but left the 60-day deadline for collecting signatures unchanged.
The committee’s decision can be appealed to the court.
The recall committee released a statement calling for the dismantling of the election commission.
“The WEC has shown that it was created to protect those in power rather than to conduct fair elections and enforce election laws,” the Racine Recall Committee said. “This action silences the voices of Racine County and denies justice to voters.”
Democratic Commissioner Mark Thomsen urged the committee not to block the recall over what he called a formality.
“Why should I ignore these 6,000 people and their right to recall?” he said. “Have they not met their burden to at least get votes?”
Vos-appointed Republican Commissioner Don Millis filed a motion to deny the petition because there were not enough valid signatures.
“I don’t agree with the idea that we should have Rep. Give Fox a pass,” Millis said. “I strongly believe that all signatures collected on May 27 and 28 are not valid. I don’t think we’re denying everyone’s right to remember. It is certainly tight when it comes to the number of signatures.”
Vos has derided those who targeted him as “crazies and idiots.” He did not appear at the meeting, but his attorney argued that signatures collected after the 60-day deadline should not be counted.
“This is the easiest way to resolve this,” said attorney Matthew Fernholz.
Trump supporters, including former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, submitted more than 9,000 signatures on May 28 calling for the recall election.
They needed 6,850 valid signatures to force a recall election in the district where Vos was elected to serve. There were 6,866 valid signatures collected from that district before the commission voted Thursday to reject the additional 188, leaving them with 6,678.
Democratic Commissioner Carrie Riepl joined the three Republican members who voted to reject the recall. She did not give a reason for her vote during the meeting.
