This summer’s recall elections cost the state $13.5 million, according to a Government Accountability Board report released Friday.
Originally, the GAB projected the May 8 and June 5 recall elections would cost $18 million. Much of the financial burden will be placed on local governments.
The May 8 recall primary election cost $6.3 million total, with specific costs including $2.3 million in poll worker wages and $1.7 million in staff salaries. Other expenses included $728,000 for ballots and $617,000 for programming.
An additional $7.2 million was spent on the June 5 recall election, with $2.5 million going to poll worker wages and $1.6 million to staff salaries. Ballots and programming cost $984,000 and $596,000 respectively.
Also, data entry services were required to search for duplicate signatures and fake names when the GAB worked to ratify the recall petitions, costing the state $94,333.
Rep. Robin Vos, R-Rochester, co-chair of the state’s Joint Finance Committee, said in a statement Friday he is outraged by the cost of the recalls.
“Next session I intend to re-introduce a constitutional amendment to reform our recall laws,” Vos said. “I know lawmakers from both sides of the aisle no longer want to waste taxpayer dollars when local government budgets are already extremely tight.”
Director and general counsel of the GAB Kevin Kennedy said beyond the added financial burden from the recalls, Wisconsin clerks, who have other responsibilities outside of elections, must cope with the additional stress of conducting six elections this year instead of four.
