2012 Recall Initiatives
The Government Accountability Board has now ordered recall elections for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and four members of the State Senate, based on the six recall petitions filed on January 17, 2012 against those officeholder.
Recall elections were ordered for May 8, 2012. If necessary, that election will become a primary, with the final recall election held June 5, 2012.
The Board staff's reveiw of the recall petitions is now complete, and the recall webcam has been turned off.
For information about the individual recall committees and officeholders, please see the table below.
For updates on the recall process, read the Recall Blog.
Memo to Legislators: Answers Common Questions about Recall Petition Review
Memo to JCF Requesting Funds for Recall Petition Processing
Information for candidates in the recall election
2012 Recall Petitions and Challenges
In Wisconsin, election petitions have always been public records, and in the interest of transparency, the Government Accountability Board has continued that tradition by posting copies of the petitions online.
To comply with a court order to find and eliminate duplicate signatures, the Board created a searchable list of petition signers' names. On March 30, 2012, the G.A.B. voted to make that database available online. The petitions are not address-searchable because addresses were not data-entered due to time and cost considerations.
To search, click the link below. Use the "Search Petitioner Name" box in the upper right corner of the page. Searching for a name will return a list of matches, which may also include petition circulators' names.
To view a record from the results, click the underlined name. In that record there will be a link to the actual petition page, as well as information about whether a signature was valid or struck, and the reason for striking.
We are currently working on enhancements to the search function.
All recall petitions for the the Governor, Lt. Governor and four State Senators are available.
Challenge and rebuttal documents are also available.
Visit the Recall Petition Documents Public Access Site
Current Recall Committees
For more information about each recall committee, including copies of registration, petitions and challenges as they are filed, please click on its name.
| Officeholder | Committee Name | GAB-1 Filing Date | Signatures Required | Date Petitions Filed | Estimated Number of Signatures | Valid Number of Signatures (at least) * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Walker | Committee to Recall Walker | November 15, 2011 | 540,208 | January 17, 2012 | 1,000,000 | 900,939 |
| Rebecca Kleefisch | Committee to Recall Kleefisch | November 15, 2011 | 540,208 | January 17, 2012 | 845,000 | 808,990 |
| Scott Fitzgerald | Committee to Recall Scott Fitzgerald | November 15, 2011 | 16,742 | January 17, 2012 | 20,600 | 18,282 |
| Van Wanggaard | Committee to Recall Wanggaard | November 15, 2011 | 15,353 | January 17, 2012 | 24,000 | 19,142 |
| Terry Moulton | Committee to Recall Moulton | November 15, 2011 | 14,958 | January 17, 2012 | 21,000 | 18,657 |
| Bob Jauch | Recall Bob Jauch Committee | March 19, 2012 | 15,270 | |||
| Pam Galloway | Recall Senator Pam Galloway | November 15, 2011 | 15,647 | January 17, 2012 | 21,000 | 18,511 |
Recall of the Governor
Like all other public officials, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin are not eligible for recall until they have served at least one year in the current term of office. Recall petitions cannot be circulated before November 4, 2011, and cannot be offered for filing until January 3, 2012.
The number of signatures required to trigger a recall election for Governor and/or Lieutenant Governor is 540,208, or one-quarter of the 2,160,832 votes cast for Governor in the November 2010 General Election.
Cost Estimates for 2012 Recall Elections
The county spreadsheet contains data from all 72 counties. Of the 1,850 municipalities, 143 did not respond by the time the report was finalized on Friday afternoon, January 6.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Letter to Representative Vos (Estimated Cost of a 2012 Statewide Recall Election - 01 06 2012).pdf | 235.04 KB |
| County Recall Cost Estimates.xlsx | 23.96 KB |
| Muni Recall Cost Estimates.xlsx | 187.99 KB |
2011 Recall Information
Click here for information about the 2011 State Senate recall efforts, including copies of the petitions.
About Recalls in Wisconsin
Recall gives voters the right to reconsider their choice of an elected official; however, it does not automatically result in removal of an official from office. It provides an opportunity for voters to require an elected official to run for office again before the expiration of his or her term.
An official must be in office for one year before a recall can be initiated.
The number of signatures required to trigger a recall is one-quarter of the number of votes cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election.
The requirements for initiating recall efforts are very specific and must be carefully followed. Please consult the recall manuals below.
The Government Accountability Board is providing information about the number of signatures required to trigger a recall in certain Senate districts in response to numerous requests from the public about the subject. Anyone considering conducting a recall petition effort should contact the G.A.B. staff at 608-266-8005.
Click here for information about the 2011 State Senate Recalls.
Information about Recall Committees
Recall committees that have registered with the Government Accountability Board are listed in the Campaign Finance Information System (CFIS).
To find them, go to CFIS and click "View Registrants" on the left-side menu. Click "Continue," which will take you to the search screen. In the upper left-hand corner, use the pull-down menu for "Registrant Type" to select "Recall," and click "Search."
To view the GAB-1 Campaign Registration form, click on the committee name.
Campaign finance reports filed by recall committees are viewable on CFIS.
Recall Manual for Congressional, County and State Officials
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Recall Manual for Congressional, County and State Officials 6-22-09.pdf | 1.72 MB |
Determination of Sufficiency of Recall Petitions
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Determination of Sufficiency of Recall Petitions.pdf | 246.9 KB |
| Determination of Sufficiency of Recall Petitions (Appendix A).pdf | 1.88 MB |
Attorney General Opinion on Recall of Governor and Lt. Governor
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| OAG-4-11.pdf | 336.99 KB |
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen issued Opinion 4-11 on November 3, 2011, regarding whether, in a recall election for governor, there must be an election of governor and lieutenant governor jointly under article V, section 3 of the Wisconsin Constitution, regardless of whether there has been a recall petition for the lieutenant governor under article XIII, section 12 of the Wisconsin Constitution.
Circulating Recall Petitions at a Polling Place
The Government Accountability Board has provided guidance for voters, local election officials and recall petition circulators for Election Day. Click here to read.
Votes Cast for Governor, November 2010
Click here for a spreadsheet of the votes cast for Governor, which can be used to calculate the number of signatures required for a recall petition.
If You See Problems on Recall Petitions
You may contact the officeholder the recall petition was filed against if you:
- Find your name on a recall petition you did not sign.
- Find other possible irregularities.
- Want to ensure that your name was not signed on a recall petition.
Wisconsin Statutes only permit the officeholder to file challenges to recall petitions.
Officeholders must provide sworn affidavits as part of any challenge to document first-hand knowledge that a petitioner's signature is not valid.
Consistent with the Statutes, the Board is not processing correspondence or challenges submitted directly by the general public and is not forwarding such information to officeholders.