First effort to force recall election of Speaker Robin Vos falls short

Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Updated ·2 min read
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MADISON - Organizers of a recall attempt against Wisconsin's longest-serving Assembly Speaker failed to gather enough signatures to trigger a recall election, according to a new report by the state elections commission.

Supporters of former president and presumptive GOP 2024 presidential nominee Donald Trump are seeking to oust Assembly Speaker Robin Vos over his criticism of Trump and his unwillingness to break the law and undo the 2020 Wisconsin presidential election.

The group launched a second recall attempt against Vos after the failure of the first, which commissioners may vote to officially reject Thursday now that commission staff have determined the group did not gather enough signatures in the appropriate legislative districts and because Vos does not live in or represent a third district from which petition organizers gathered signatures.

The bipartisan elections commission will meet Thursday evening to discuss the recommendation by commission staff to declare not enough signatures were collected to trigger a recall election.

The first recall attempt failed, in part, because petition circulators forged signatures — an illegal practice that is now under investigation by the Racine County district attorney.

Vos in his challenge alleged thousands were from people who didn't live in the correct district. He also argued the petitions included forged signatures and were circulated by felons in some cases, which is against state law.

Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson as of March was investigating nearly 30 complaints from area residents who said their signatures were forged by the recall organizers.

The new recall petitions are due by May 28, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Recall organizer Matthew Snorek of Burlington, right, is shown at the state Capitol on the March 11 day his group delivered peetitions seeking an election. Joining him is Harry Wait, left, who leads a Racine County group known as H.O.T. Government that promotes false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Recall organizer Matthew Snorek of Burlington, right, is shown at the state Capitol on the March 11 day his group delivered peetitions seeking an election. Joining him is Harry Wait, left, who leads a Racine County group known as H.O.T. Government that promotes false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Recall organizers in March submitted to the WEC more than 10,000 signatures — nearly 4,000 more than required. But elections commission staff determined the recall organizers didn't obtain enough signatures from residents in the district Vos was elected in when the recall began, falling about 945 signatures short.

The recall committee has acknowledged the signatures the group submitted included forgeries but blamed the crime on "sabotage" and unidentified participants "recruiting individuals from outside Wisconsin."

According to the paperwork for the new recall effort, organizer Matthew Snorek is seeking to recall Vos over baseless allegations of Vos' "tacit support for the Chinese Communist Party."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Effort to force recall election of Speaker Robin Vos falls short