State of Wisconsin senator recall information and guide

The entire Recall Elections Blog article, which offers reader commenting.

"Among the 18 states with a recall, Wisconsin has one of the hardest signature requirements to get a recall on the ballot. First, it requires a fairly high number of signatures (25% for the governor's office in the last election). It could be higher -- for example, Louisiana requires the signatures of 33 1/3 of all the eligible voters in the district -- but it is clearly a healthy amount. It is combined with an extremely tight deadline to hand them -- 60 day. Only four states limit the gathering period to 60 days. Most of the others fall between 90 and 180. That the Democrats were able to get the signatures (presumably they feel confident that the signatures are valid, and since they don't live in NY, there are probably less hurdles) to recall Senator Dan Kapanke in half the compressed time frame is clearly a strong sign for them.

Here is a list of next steps on Wisconsin"

Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

Wisconsin state senator recall petitioners can expect court disputes over the validity of their petitions

From a POLITICO.com article, which offers reader commenting:

"Relatively lenient Wisconsin petitioning provisions may ease the path to recall -- but lawyers say protracted court battles are entirely possible over the petitions that both parties are now circulating.
Under state law, petition circulators -- who face tight regulations in other states -- do not need to be registered voters or to live in the district, but merely have to be eligible to vote if they were to live in Wisconsin, a measure which excludes felons, minors, and non-citizens. Wisconsin has same-day voter registration, so the signatories only need to be eligible to vote and live within the proper districts.
Court disputes over the validity of the petitions will likely revolve around the eligibility of the person circulating the petitions, the eligibility of the signatory, legibility and weeding out duplicates."

Thanks to Ballot Access News for the story.

 
Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

Miami-Dade County, Florida voters recall their Mayor and Commissioner

From a Recall Elections Blog article, which offers reader commenting:

"Miami-Dade County voters overwhelming decided to remove Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissoner Natacha Seijas in today recall vote. so far, the reports are that this is a landslide, with the Herald reporting an astonishing 88% of voters casting the ballot for removal."

Definition of recall:  Process whereby an elected official may be subject to an election which can lead to loss of office before his or her term of office has expired if a specified number or percentage of electors sign a petition calling for such an election. The recall device is widely available at state and local level in the United States and was used in California in 2003 to replace the Governor, Gray Davis, with Arnold Schwarzenegger .

WG "recall"   The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics. Ed Iain McLean and Alistair McMillan. Oxford University Press 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  David Weller.  16 March 2011  

 
Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 16 Wisconsin state senator recall drives could make history

"Formal recall campaigns have now been launched against 16 state senators - eight Republicans and eight Democrats. That's everyone in the 33-member Wisconsin Senate who is legally eligible to be recalled this year.
Even though state law is designed to make recalls difficult and rare, some political insiders expect the petition drives now under way to succeed in forcing multiple lawmakers to face recall elections this summer.
Much like the ongoing budget fight, the recall battles could play out on a national stage. The two parties and groups across the political spectrum will be invested in the outcome, with Wisconsin now serving as the state testing ground in a broader struggle over government spending, unions and the public workforce in the run-up to the 2012 election.
'A lot of effort is going to be expended by both sides. You'll see national money. It's going to generate a lot of passion on both sides,' said Mark Jefferson, executive director of the state GOP. 'We're having a serious debate in this state about some very serious issues.'
In the end, the success of this year's recall campaigns - and possibly a second round next year - will hinge on the depth and breadth of grass-roots anger and frustration in Wisconsin, feelings that polls suggest now run at feverish levels."

The entire article, with commenting, is at http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/117501513.html 

Wisconsin: How to get Recall Election Information from your state's Secretary of State. 

 
Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

GavelGrab: Gingrich Pivotal in Iowa Supreme Court Justices' Ouster Campaign

"Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich helped secure $200,000 in start-up money for the successful campaign to oust three Iowa Supreme Court justices over the court’s controversial same-sex marriage ruling.The potential Republican presidential candidate “played a key behind-the-scenes role” in getting the money, according to a Los Angeles Times article. More broadly, he is wooing Christian evangelicals as he lays the foundation for a possible presidential campaign.
Regarding the Iowa ouster campaign, “It wouldn’t have happened without Newt,”  David Lane, executive director of Iowa for Freedom, which led the drive, told the Times. “Newt provided strategic advice and arranged the initial seed money, about $200,000, which is what got everything started.”
Lane said the money came from an anonymous donor."

The entire article, with commenting, is at http://www.gavelgrab.org/?p=18521 

The Iowa Supreme Court Justices were elected by the people of Iowa only; only they have the power to recall their judges-- communicators concerning recalling Iowa judges should have revealed their identities in the interest of the voters of Iowa.


Remember, "voting turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

Citizens in Charge: Total Recall: Wisconsin-- Several Recall Efforts Have Already Begun

"It looks like both sides in the union versus budget debate in Wisconsin are preparing to fire their recall artillery at each other as both Republican and Democrat state senators could face campaigns to remove them from office:

Wisconsin law allows any elected official who has served at least one year of their current term to be recalled from office.Once the recall paperwork is filed, organizers have 60 days to gather signatures.The number of signatures depends on how many voters in that district voted for governor, a number that in these cases ranges from about 11,000 to 20,000.If enough signatures are gathered, the incumbent has to go through a new election."

The entire article, with commenting, is at http://www.citizensincharge.org/blog/trevorf/total-recall-wisconsin

Wisconsin: You can initiate a recall of your own representative, or, if an effort has already started for your district, you can participate in that.

 
Remember, "voter turnout and activism means spreading the word!"

The Independent View: Wisconsin Voters Remorse

"What do voters do when they decide they made a mistake with their vote? RECALL.
The citizens of Wisconsin are granted the authority to perform a recall election by the Wisconsin Constitution, Article VIII, Section 12 to all elective officers after the first year of the term for which the incumbent was elected."

The entire article with commenting is at http://ipview.blogspot.com/2011/02/wisconsin-buyers-remorse.html

The article gives instructions on how Wisconsin citizens may recall a state of Wisconsin elected official.

Citizens in Charge: West Virginia: Confusion Over Parkersburg Recall Petition Deadline

"City officials and activists can’t seem to agree on the rules governing a move to recall the elected officials who voted for a $2.50-a-week user fee in Parkersburg [West Virginia]. The city claims the deadline to submit petitons passed last week while supporters of the recall effort don’t believe the law contains a deadline"

The entire article, with commenting, is at http://www.citizensincharge.org/blog/brandon/west-virginia-confusion-over-parkersburg-recall-petition-deadline