An order that would make election officials more aggressively check for invalid signatures to recall Gov. Scott Walker could be overturned after a Madison Appeals Court vacated the original ruling Friday.
In the original lawsuit, brought on by Walker in December, Waukesha County Circuit Judge J. Mac Davis prevented Democratic recall petitioner committees from intervening in the case. The Friday order undid the decision from the original case.
Before the original lawsuit, the Government Accountability Board, which is in charge of the recall process, only had to check that petition signatures were from the appropriate election districts, within the allotted recall time period, and a had complete address. Critical review of fake or duplicate signatures was to be left up to individual campaigns that would be responsible for challenging petitions.
The GAB made plans to use an expensive database to verify the validity of signatures following Davis’ decision, a process that would add time to the petition review.
Stephan Thompson, executive director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said in a press release the board should continue with its plans for how to review the petitions.
“Today’s appeals court ruling does not invalidate the need for heightened transparency and integrity in this process, and we encourage the (GAB) to continue its efforts to ensure that Wisconsin electors are not treated unfairly in this process,” Thompson said.
Appeals Judges Paul Lundsten, Margaret Vergeront and Paul Higginbotham ordered the unanimous decision.
Election officials have until March 19 to determine if elections should be held.
