Groups file signatures to recall governor
By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press January 17, 2012 8:38AM
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, center left, and Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, center right, participate in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, in Madison, Wis. Organizers of efforts to recall both Walker and Kleefisch from office plan to turn in petitions with more than 540,000 signatures Tuesday to force a recall election. Also pictured, from left, is Madison Police Chief Noble Wray, state Superintendent Tony Evers and University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor David Ward. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
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Updated: January 17, 2012 1:45PM
Organizers of an effort to oust Wisconsin’s Republican Gov. Scott Walker say they are submitting 1 million petition signatures, almost double the number needed to force a recall election.
Their effort was spurred by anger over Walker’s efforts last year to reduce the bargaining power of public sector unions.
The Wisconsin elections board now must verify that there are enough valid signatures, a process expected to take several months.
In a recall election, voters can remove an elected official before the end of his or her term. In Wisconsin, those forcing the recall generally put up a candidate to face the official in a special eleciton.
An election may not happen until June or later.
Organizers also turned in on Tuesday about 305,000 more signatures than needed to force a recall election of Walker’s lieutenant governor.
